MiG-29 18105 that crashed at Batajnica Air Base |
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | July 7, 2009 |
| Type | unknown |
| Site | Near Belgrade, Serbia |
| Crew | 1 |
| Injuries | 1[1] |
| Fatalities | 2[1] |
| Aircraft type | Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter aircraft |
| Operator | Serbian Air Force |
| Tail number | 18105 |
On 7 July 2009, a MiG-29 fighter aircraft of the Serbian Air Force crashed 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Belgrade, Serbia.[2] The pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Rade Ranđelović was the Serbian Air Force's display pilot and was practicing a display routine for the Kalemegdan airshow, which was to be held on 11 July in Belgrade.[3] Ranđelović lost control of the aircraft during the final part of his display and the aircraft crashed in a carpark close to the airbase. According to witnesses he did not attempt to eject and during the initial ground contact the aircraft started to break apart, while at the second ground contact Ranđelović and his seat were thrown by the force of the impact. Critically injured, he was airlifted to the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade, but died an hour later.[4] A soldier on guard duty on the ground, Milan Ulemek from the 117th Air Defence Battalion, was also killed and a second soldier suffered minor injuries. In addition to being this year's display pilot, Ranđelović was the chief of the staff of the 204th Air Base. The aircraft, serial numbered 18105, had been built in 1987 and undergone a complete overhaul and upgrade during 2008, following which it had flown about 75 hours. The causes of the accident are still unknown and all Serbian MiG-29s were grounded until further notice.[3] President Boris Tadić ordered an emergency investigation commission in order to reveal the causes of the crash. Before the accident, the Serbian Air Force had five MiG-29s which had survived the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.[5]