The “Su-27 Mirgorod Pyramid:” when an Ukrainian Flanker Jumped Chocks and Collided with two Other Su-27s parked at Mirgorod Air Base

The “Su-27 Mirgorod Pyramid:” when an Ukrainian Flanker Jumped Chocks and Collided with two Other Su-27s parked at Mirgorod Air Base

By Dario Leone
Sep 3 2019
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The video in this post features the so called ‘Su-27 Mirgorod Pyramid.’

Taken at Mirgorod Air Base, Ukraine, on May 26, 1997 the video in this post features the so called ‘Su-27 Mirgorod Pyramid.’

This one of a kind accident took place when Su-27UB ’68 Blue’ jumped chocks during engine starting due to a throttle lever accidentally set to full afterburner and hit Su-27UB ’72 Red’ and Su-27 ’07 Red.’

As told by Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov in their book Sukhoi Su-27 & 30/33/34/35, both trainers were eventually repaired, but the single-seater was written off and became a museum exhibit.

Noteworthy after the dissolution of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991 a considerable number of Su-27s have been lost. The causes of the accidents varied – hardware failure, the tell-tale human factor (errors or negligence), external factors (such as bird strike) and insufficient flight hours clocked by Flanker drivers.

Anyway no aircraft type is immune against accident attrition.


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Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

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