2009 Serbian Air Force MiG-29 crash
Encyclopedia
On 7 July 2009, a MiG-29
fighter aircraft
of the Serbian Air Force
crashed 12 miles (19.3 km) northwest of Belgrade
, Serbia
. The pilot, Lieutenant Colonel
Rade Ranđelović
was the Serbian Air Force's display pilot and was practicing a display routine for the Kalemegdan
airshow, which was to be held on 11 July in Belgrade. Ranđelović lost control of the aircraft during the final part of his display and the aircraft crashed in a carpark close to the airbase. According to witnesses he did not attempt to eject and during the initial ground contact the aircraft started to break apart, while at the second ground contact Ranđelović and his seat were thrown by the force of the impact. Critically injured, he was airlifted
to the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade, but died an hour later. A soldier on guard duty on the ground, Milan Ulemek from the 117th Air Defence Battalion, was also killed and a second soldier suffered minor injuries. In addition to being this year's display pilot, Ranđelović was the chief of the staff of the 204th Air Base
. The aircraft, serial numbered 18105, had been built in 1987 and undergone a complete overhaul and upgrade during 2008, following which it had flown about 75 hours. The causes of the accident are still unknown and all Serbian MiG-29s were grounded until further notice. President
Boris Tadić
ordered an emergency investigation commission in order to reveal the causes of the crash. Before the accident, the Serbian Air Force had five MiG-29s which had survived the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
.
Mikoyan MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 is a fourth-generation jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union for an air superiority role. Developed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau, it entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983, and remains in use by the Russian Air Force as well as in many other...
fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
of the Serbian Air Force
Serbian Air Force
The Serbian Air Force and Air Defence is the air force of Serbia and service branch of the Serbian Armed Forces. Established in 1912, it is one of the oldest air forces in the world.-History:...
crashed 12 miles (19.3 km) northwest of Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. The pilot, Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Rade Ranđelović
Rade Ranđelović
Colonel Rade Ranđelović was the display pilot of the Serbian Air Force and the commander of the 98th Air Base. Ranđelović was killed in a MiG-29 crash which occurred on 7 July 2009 in Batajnica, Belgrade...
was the Serbian Air Force's display pilot and was practicing a display routine for the Kalemegdan
Kalemegdan
Belgrade Fortress , represent old citadel and Kalemegdan Park on the confluence of the River Sava and Danube, in an urban area of modern Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Stari Grad...
airshow, which was to be held on 11 July in Belgrade. Ranđelović lost control of the aircraft during the final part of his display and the aircraft crashed in a carpark close to the airbase. According to witnesses he did not attempt to eject and during the initial ground contact the aircraft started to break apart, while at the second ground contact Ranđelović and his seat were thrown by the force of the impact. Critically injured, he was airlifted
Airlift
Airlift is the act of transporting people or cargo from point to point using aircraft.Airlift may also refer to:*Airlift , a suction device for moving sand and silt underwater-See also:...
to the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade, but died an hour later. A soldier on guard duty on the ground, Milan Ulemek from the 117th Air Defence Battalion, was also killed and a second soldier suffered minor injuries. In addition to being this year's display pilot, Ranđelović was the chief of the staff of the 204th Air Base
204th Air Base
The 204th Air Brigade is a main air base of Serbian Air Force and Air Defense. It's the home of Serbian fighter, training and transport aviation.-History:...
. The aircraft, serial numbered 18105, had been built in 1987 and undergone a complete overhaul and upgrade during 2008, following which it had flown about 75 hours. The causes of the accident are still unknown and all Serbian MiG-29s were grounded until further notice. President
President of Serbia
The President of Serbia is the head of state of Serbia. Presently serving as the head of state is Boris Tadić. He was elected with a narrow majority of 50.31% in the 2008 Serbian presidential elections.-Authority, legal and constitutional rights:...
Boris Tadić
Boris Tadic
Boris Tadić is the President of Serbia and leader of the Democratic Party. He was elected to a five-year term on 27 June 2004, and was sworn into office on 11 July. He was re-elected for a de facto second five-year term on 3 February 2008 and was sworn in on 15 February...
ordered an emergency investigation commission in order to reveal the causes of the crash. Before the accident, the Serbian Air Force had five MiG-29s which had survived the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
.