Witness tells about MIG-31 crash and its brave pilot

Aeronavigator of the MIG-31 military aricraft that crashed in Karaganda oblast got a brain concussion in the crash, NV.kz reports. According to the doctors, there is no threat to the life of Ruslan Galimzyanov. He is now in the oblast's medical center. "Galimzyanov's condition is stable. He has a shoulder dislocation, brain concussion and numerous smaller injuries," head of the trauma department Bek Ibrayev said. Galimzyanov graduated from Aktobe Higher Civil Aviation School. He has the total of 480 flying hours, including 190 hours on MIG-31. Commander pilot Marat Yedigeev who died in the crash had a wife and three children. He was born in Kostanay oblast on December 23, 1967. He graduated from Armavir Higher Aviation School in 1989. In 2011 Yedigeev graduated from Russian Military Aviation Academy. Starting from January 2010 he served as a commander of the aviation base. He was awarded with Aibyn 2-grade decoration. "In line with Kazakhstan legislation, the pilot's family will receive a. compensation in the amount of 5-year salary," the Defense Ministry said. Right before the crash the pilot diverted the aircraft into the steppes to prevent it from crashing onto a village and save the people living in the village, NV.kz cited a witness of the crash as saying. The resident of Batyk village Bauyrzhan Karibayev was at home with his family when the accident happened. "We looked at the sky and saw the plane. It started blowing out part by part, like a firecracker. Everyone started to run away as it was flying over the buildings. They say that the pilot of the plane diverted it away from the village to save the children," Karibayev said. The accident site is currently surrounded by police and journalists are not allowed to the crash site. Kazahkstan Defense Minister Adilbek Dzhaksybekov expressed condolences to Yedigeev's family. "On behalf of all the militarymen of Kazakhstan Armed Forces and from me personally I express sincere condolences and words of support to the family of the pilot of Kazakhstan Air Defense Forces Colonel Marat Yedigeev who died during performance of his duties," the Minister said. Militarymen and commanding personnel of the Defense Ministry also mourn the colonel's death. "We are grieved by the terrible loss of Marat Yedigeev's family and take this tragedy as our personal one. We have lost a fellow soldier, a mentor and a reliable friend," the militarymen said. The military plane MIG-31 of the military department 50185 of the Defense Ministry crashed during a training flight on April 23, 2013 at 10:41 p.m. Equipment failure was the main reason of the aircraft's crash. The Defense Ministry's press-service reported that the aircraft underwent an overhaul in Russia on December 31, 2012. It was on warranty maintenance and flew only 42 hours after the overhaul. The crew ejected themselves from the plane before the crash.