| Moscow - Russian military prosecutors launched an investigation on Wednesday after an amateur video captured a defence ministry jet lurching terrifyingly out of control in skies close to Moscow. Videos of the Tupolev jet posted on YouTube by witnesses show the aircraft twisting from side to side uncontrollably before pilots manage to land it safely at a military aerodrome outside Moscow. "The military prosecutors have launched a probe which should establish the reasons for the mid-air incident that almost led to an aviation disaster," a spokesperson for the chief military prosecutor's office told the RIA Novosti news agency on Wednesday. The Tu-154 aircraft, dating back to the 1960s, was dubbed the "dancing plane" by bloggers. The spokesperson for the chief military prosecutor's office told RIA Novosti that the aircraft's steering system had malfunctioned and praised the pilots for managing to land safely in a built-up area. "During a test flight, the steering system broke down on the TU-154B-2 plane belonging to the Defence Ministry's 800th air base," the spokesperson said. First flight in 10 years "Thanks to the great professionalism and supreme skill of the pilots, the crew managed to land on the second attempt at Chkalovsk aerodrome, avoiding casualties among the airforce and the local population." The video posted on April 30, which has been watched more than 380 000 times, says that the aircraft was being flown for the first time after a 10-year break. |
