Three Russian nuclear bomber crew members killed ‘after ejector seat malfunctions’

The three crew members reportedly suffered injuries ‘incompatible with life’

Russian servicemen wearing a face mask to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic, prepare to roll out a Russian national flag during a celebration ceremony of the National Flag Day at Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow on 22 August, 2020. (AFP via Getty Images)

Three crew members of a Russian nuclear bomber have reportedly been killed after an ejector seat was believed to have been accidentally triggered as the crew prepared for departure.

The incident unfolded on Tuesday ahead of a training flight departing from the Shaykovka military airfield, according to multiple reports, including from Russia’s TASS news agency.

The agency said the incident involved a supersonic Tupolev Tu-22M3 aircraft, a Soviet-era strike bomber developed in the mid-1960s.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the incident to The Associated Press, asserting that it the long-range bomber was preparing for a training mission when the aircraft’s ejection system malfunctioned.

The ministry said the altitude simply wasn’t enough for the parachutes to effectively open, causing three crew members to die.

Citing an unnamed source in the medical community, TASS reported that one crew member survived the incident and had been taken to an infirmary nearby. That has yet to be confirmed, however.

As we await more information, an investigation is reportedly underway to determine the exact cause of the incident.

An unnamed source familiar with the incident told Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti that the incident likely would not qualify as an air crash as it took place on the ground.