Yak-130 crashes during training flight near Borisoglebsk

During a training flight near the Borisoglebsk aerodrome a Yak-130 aircraft crashed; the crew is safe, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

"On September 16, 2017, during a training flight near the Borisoglebsk aerodrome a training-combat Yakovlev Yak-130 aircraft (NATO reporting name: Mitten) crashed," the ministry said in a statement. "The crew directed the aircraft away from the houses and ejected successfully."

According to the defense ministry, "both pilots contacted the command immediately after the landing; nothing threatens their lives." A search-rescue group is on its way to the pilots.

A flight safety commission of the Russian Armed Forces is leaving the Chkalov aerodrome to investigate into the accident.

The Yak-130 is a new-generation two-seat combat trainer jet designed for basic flight and combat training and for fighting air and ground threats in all weather conditions. It can be used to train the pilots of fourth-plus and fifth-generation aircraft.

The Yakovlev Design Bureau started to develop the Yak-130 plane in the early 1990s. The plane performed its first flight in 1996, and the Russian Air Force selected it as its basic trainer in 2002.