Michigan airshow crash report suggests pilot, backseater out of sync on whether to eject

(Detroit Free Press) The pilot of the Russian-made fighter jet that crashed earlier this month during the Thunder Over Michigan airshow in Belleville was trying to land the plane while the backseater acknowledged to investigators he likely pulled the ejection handles for both of them, a preliminary investigation found.

The report suggested that moments before the jet hit the ground during the Yankee Air Museum’s annual event, the pilot and backseater — who were racing against the clock in a plummeting plane — had different views about what to do.

But once they did eject, blasting out of the aircraft and parachuting back to earth, the jet's fate was sealed.

The recent report by the National Transportation Safety Board offered more insight into what happened during the Aug. 13, but didn’t determine why the MiG-23 lost power before crashing. Nor did it conclude whether the pilot could have safely landed the plane or if the backseater saved their lives. ...............(more)

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/08/26/michigan-airshow-crash-report-backseater-pilot-eject/70689088007/