Three weeks after a Russian fighter jet crashed in the Mediterranean Sea shortly after launching from its aircraft carrier near the coast of Syria, overnight a fighter jet based on the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov skid off the deck during landing and became lost at sea after an arrestor gear line snapped and failed to stop the aircraft, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
Su-33 fighter on the deck of Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier
According to RT, the pilot ejected from the plane and was rescued unharmed, the statement said. “Naval aviation sorties are continuing in accordance with their tasks,” the ministry added.
The Aviationist adds that the combat plane crashed at its second attempt to land on the aircraft carrier in good weather conditions (visibility +10 kilometers, Sea State 4, wind at 12 knots): it seems that it missed the wires and failed to go around falling short of the bow of the warship.
This is the second loss for the air wing embarked on Admiral Kuznetsov
in less than three weeks and a significant blow for the Russian Naval
Aviation during its combat deployment off Syria. As reported previously, a Mig-29 fighter jet was not able to land and ran out of fuel because the deck crew of the carrier failed to fix a broken arrestor gear.
The deployment of the Admiral Kuznetsov to Syria is its first combat mission since the ship was built. It is the only aircraft carrier currently in service in the Russian Navy.