Russian military prosecutors to probe Sukhoi Su-24 combat plane insane low pass over a highway

September 7, 2012 Military Aviation

David Cenciotti

According to the Interfax news agency, military prosecutors will investigate flight records and safety measures carried out at military airfields after the video of a low level flying Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer went viral and it was shown on Russian national television.

Filmed from a car dashboard, the footage showed the Russian Air Forcetwin-engined two-seater attack plane zooming low over a highway between Volgograd and Kalach-on-the-Don, Russia.

On Sept. 6, a fleetwide grounding was ordered after a Mig-29 Fulcrum crashed in Siberia.

According to the AFP news agency, famous Russian test pilot Anatoly Kvochur said that the maneuver was “normal training”.

“The more pilots we have like this, the better,” he added.

The Su-24 was designed to perform ultra low level strike missions. So, it was surely doing what it does better.

Still, it’s not safe to fly that low on a highway in peacetime, during a training mission. Among the other things, a fast moving plane buzzing the cars could divert drivers attention.

Anyway, here below you’ll find the full version of the video.

Video: Russian Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jet buzzes highway drivers (theaviationist.com)
Russian Mig-29 Fulcrum crashes in Siberia, Moscow grounds them all. (theaviationist.com)
Impressive video: Syria flexes muscles with live firing exercise including Mig-29s, Mig-23s, Mig-21s, Su-24s and gunship helicopters (theaviationist.com)
Show of force: 100th anniversary of the Russian Air Force mass flypast of 21 combat planes (theaviationist.com)

About David Cenciotti

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

USSHelm says:

September 7, 2012 at 8:25 PM

It’s rather interesting that a Su-24 would buzz one of the few cars in Russia with a dash cam.
- Rocco Z says:
  
  September 8, 2012 at 7:41 AM
  
  Yeah, I just saw the one with the Helicopter and they looked very similar maybe computer generated
Nick says:

September 7, 2012 at 8:44 PM

Many cars in Russia have dash cams (often for insurance reasons), check out youtube for “russian dashcam” to see some insane videos.
IHB says:

September 7, 2012 at 10:30 PM

See this one too…
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ed0_1346970379
Bill G. says:

September 9, 2012 at 6:00 PM

I disagree with Anatoly Kvochur that this is OK. If the jet developed a problem and crashed into a family out on holiday, would he still be in agreement that the low/fast pass over a highway was a good thing to do?

I understand that flying low is a necessary tactic. Keep it on the test & training range where it belongs. If an airshow atmosphere about it is allowed to develop, pilots will start trying to top each other until something tragic happens.