Video shows Kazakhstan Air Defence Force MiG-31 Interceptor crashing after takeoff

Video shows Kazakhstan Air Defence Force MiG-31 Interceptor crashing after takeoff

By Dario Leone
Apr 17 2020
Share this article

The Kazakhstan MoD reported the pilots were ordered to eject, but before they activated their seats, the crew managed to direct the MiG-31 away from settlement and steered their huge MiG-31 jet to a remote field.

Taken on Apr. 16, 2020 (apparently by people living in the vicinity of the crash site), the video in this post shows a MiG-31 (NATO reporting name: Foxhound) belonging to the Kazakhstan Air Defence Force (KADF) crashing just after takeoff. The aircraft took off from Karaganda air base for a scheduled training sortie when one of the engines caught fire.

The Kazakhstan MoD reported the pilots were ordered to eject, but before they activated their seats, the crew managed to direct the MiG-31 away from settlement and steered their huge MiG-31 jet to a remote field. Both pilots are alive and brought to a nearby hospital, their conditions are not reported.

The crew members, who are both experienced Lieutenant Colonels with 1,161 and 888 hours on the MiG-31, were taken to a local hospital. One of them is in a stable condition, while the other in a moderate condition.

Noteworthy this incident was the fourth crash for a KADF MiG-31 after those occurred in 2007, 2008 and 2013.

The MiG-31 was developed during 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau as supersonic interceptor aircraft and was aimed to replace the earlier MiG-25 “Foxbat.” In fact the MiG-31 is based on, and shares design elements with the MiG-25.

The MiG-31 has the distinction of being one of the fastest combat jets in the world and continues to be operated by several air arms including the Russian Air and Space Force (RuASF).

Photo credit: kazinform and Dmitriy Pichugin via Wikipedia


Share this article

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.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share this article


Share this article
Share this article

Always up to date! News and offers delivered directly to you!

Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.



    Share this article
    Back to top
    My Agile Privacy
    This website uses technical and profiling cookies. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Clicking on "Refuse" or the X will refuse all profiling cookies. By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate.
    Warning: some page functionalities could not work due to your privacy choices