Taskaev said that that day he and the navigator had to test a new rocket.
“This occurred at very high speed, with a high Mach number. Upon entering the launch zone, the right engine mount was destroyed,” the pilot told RIA Novosti.
In conditions of strong vibrations, the crew was forced to turn off the engine.
“A few seconds later, the ‘left engine on’ indicator came on on the dashboard, and it also had to be turned off,” Taskaev added.
From the ground, the crew was instructed to eject; the pilots “were able to get one to the point” and it landed safely at the airfield.
After this, the test flight crew was nominated for state awards.
The MiG-31M is a modification of the Soviet two-seat supersonic high-altitude, long-range all-weather fighter-interceptor MiG-31. Created in 1993, the aircraft received improved armament.
According to open data, the MiG-31M has never been mass produced, only a few prototypes exist.
