MOSCOW (AP) – Three members of the air crew of a Russian bomber died on Tuesday when their ejection seats were accidentally activated during flight checks, the army said.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the incident took place at an air base in the Kaluga region, about 145 kilometers southwest of Moscow.
He said the crew of a long-range Tu-22M3 bomber was preparing for a training mission when its ejection system malfunctioned and accidentally shot the crew. The ministry said the altitude was not enough for the parachutes to open and three of the four crew members died from their injuries.
Russian media reported that among the victims was Colonel Vadim Beloslyudtsev, the commander of the bomber unit stationed at the Shaikovka air base near Kaluga.
Russian news said that the fourth member of the crew survived the incident and was hospitalized.
An official investigation into the incident has been launched. Accidental activation of the rescue system is extremely rare, and some experts have speculated that it could have been caused by an electrical failure or human error.
Tu-22M3 is a long-range twin-engine supersonic bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
It is estimated that about 60 will remain in the service of the Russian air force, and some have carried out bombing missions to strike Syrian militants from their bases in Russia.