MOSCOW. April 26 (Interfax-AVN) - An investigation into the TU-160 Blackjack strategic bomber crash that occurred in the Saratov region on September 18, 2003, has exposed serious violations in operational procedures, first deputy chairman of the Federation Council's defense and security committee Vasily Klyuchenok told Interfax-Military News Agency on Monday.
"The commission has considered plenty of explanations for the crash. A final decision has not been made, but flagrant violations in the operation and testing of such aircraft are already obvious," he said.
"The commission's progress is hampered by the lack of many documents it is interested in," he stressed.
Meanwhile, Air Force Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Mikhailov said in mid-January 2004 that the "human factor" was to blame for the crash.
He said this did not involve a mistake by the crew, but an "insane change" in the rules for aircraft fueling with liquid nitrogen made in 1997. It had been decided not to add liquid nitrogen if a plane had less than 50 tonnes of fuel aboard. As a result, the TU-160 fuel tanks lacked pressure, and the reserve pressure system's drain valve failed. The wing safety factor was thwarted, and the crew could do nothing about it.
The TU-160 crashed in the Saratov region shortly after taking off from the Engels airbase. The destruction of the aircraft structure, including the skin, fuel tanks, and engines, began at an altitude of 1,200m. The crew tried to put the plane into a horizontal position but the centering was broken and the incident flow changed, and the diving angle kept on rising. When the first and second engines were on fire the crew commander ordered preparation for ejection. The ejection systems had done well but a powerful blast from the ground destroyed the parachutes in the air. The aircraft hit the ground at an angle of about 70 degrees, killing all the crew members.
TU-160 crew commander Lieutenant Colonel Yuri Deyneka became Hero of Russia, while commander's aide Major Oleg Fedunenko and navigators Major Grigory Kolchin and Major Sergei Sukhorukov were awarded the Orders of Courage.
Klyuchenok served as air force commander of the Volga military district from 1997 to 1999.