It would take Russian investigators at least a month to establish the cause of an accident with a Su-27SM Flanker fighter jet that crashed in Russia's Far East on Wednesday, a military source said.
The jet crashed during the landing at an airbase near Vladivostok after a routine training flight. The pilot ejected successfully and was hospitalized with minor injuries.
"Judging by experience, investigators work on such cases for at least a month," the source in the Defense Ministry said. "Experts will have to question the pilot, the technicians and eye- witnesses."
Other military sources said Wednesday that said that the crash might have been caused by a technical failure, including engine failure.
The Russian Air Force has suspended Su-27SM flights until the end of the investigation.
Russia lost several Su-27s due to technical failures and pilot errors in the past few years.
The Su-27 is a Mach-2 class air-superiority aircraft designed as a direct competitor for the heavy fourth generation Western fighters, such as the F-15 Eagle.
About 450 Su-27 aircraft have been built for the Russian Air Force since 1984, and over 200 jets have been exported to other countries, including China, Indonesia, Angola and some ex-Soviet states.
VLADIVOSTOK, April 7 (RIA Novosti)
