The MiG-29
The MiG-29 was developed in response to a new generation of American fighter jets, including the F-15 and F-16. Originally built for air defense, this versatile aircraft was also equipped with ground-attack abilities. The responsibility of creating a tactical fighter for the Soviet Air Force’s Frontal Aviation Regiments was assigned to the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau (MiG OKB). Using all the technical information available on advanced Western aircraft, designers began work on the MiG-29 in the early 1970s, leading to the first prototype’s maiden flight on October 6, 1977. U.S. reconnaissance satellites spotted the new jet in November 1977, prompting NATO to assign it the reporting name “Fulcrum.”
Production of the MiG-29 began in 1982, with aircraft being delivered to Frontal Aviation units the following year, 1983. In contrast, the United States Air Force had already introduced its first operational F-15A jets in 1976, seven years earlier, and the F-16A entered service in 1979, four years ahead of the MiG-29.
Soviet test pilot Anatoliy Kvochur crash
A widely known video documented an incident on June 8, 1989, when MiG-29 ‘303 Blue’ (c/n 2960516767, f/n 3303), owned by Mikoyan OKB and piloted by test pilot Anatoliy Kvochur, crashed during a demonstration flight at the 38th Paris Air Show.
According to Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov in their book Mikoyan MiG-29 & MiG-35, the crash took place as the Fulcrum-A was concluding its aerobatic routine with a slow, high-angle pass at 160 meters (525 feet). Suddenly, a surge caused flames to erupt from the right engine nozzle. Kvochur quickly applied full afterburner to the working engine, but at only 180 km/h (111 mph), he lacked control to manage the uneven thrust, making recovery impossible.
Engine failure
At 13:44:57 local time, the engine failed, causing the MiG-29 to immediately yaw and roll to the starboard. The nose dropped, and the jet entered a vertical dive by 13:45:01. Just two and a half seconds later, Kvochur ejected at an altitude of 92 meters (302 feet) to ensure the plane would not crash into the crowd. The aircraft struck the ground next to the runway at 13:45:05, exploding in a massive fireball. The pilot landed just 30 meters (98 feet) from the wreckage, with the ejection seat hitting the ground right beside him.
The airport’s emergency response and fire crews arrived just 55 seconds after the crash. Anatoliy Kvochur was quickly transported to the hospital, but he was released the same day with only minor injuries—a few bruises and a cut above his right eyebrow from his oxygen mask. He was extremely lucky, having ejected outside the safe parameters for the seat, narrowly missing both the fireball and the landing seat. The incident also highlighted the effectiveness of the Zvezda K-36DM ejection seat. Observers noted that the MiG-29’s structural strength, along with the soft ground at Le Bourget, allowed it to bury its entire front fuselage, including the cockpit, before it exploded.
Anatoliy Kvochur crash: speculation
There was considerable speculation about what triggered the crash. Video evidence suggested that the MiG-29 had been struck by lightning at least twice right before the accident. However, a detailed inspection of the wreckage and flight data recorder showed that the real cause was severe damage to the right engine from multiple bird strikes.
Mikoyan MiG-29 & MiG-35 is published by Crecy and is available to order here.
Photo by Unknown via Reddit and Vitaly V. Kuzmin, vitalykuzmin.net, via Wikipedia
