China's fighter plane makes forced landing

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-22 14:38

BEIJING -- A Jian-10 (Fighter-10), China's most advanced military jet, had made a successful forced landing during a training flight after an engine failure, China Central Television (CCTV) reported Sunday.

Jian-10 (Fighter-10) [File]

When the pilot Li Feng was exercising a difficult action in the fighter on March 7 at the height of 4,500 meters, a warning popped up on the screen, the report said.

Li, a deputy regiment commander of the Air force, realized the plane might lose power at any time and requested to return after a quick check on the engine.

The engine stopped working when the fighter was 7 kilometers away from the airport. Then the fighter began to fall at a speed of 25 meters per second, it reported.

Striving to adjust the aircraft pose, Li steered the fighter into the runway through inertia.

Though the drag parachute failed to work, the pilot managed to bring the plane to a stop after it taxied down the runway for 1,400 meters, according to the report, noting that the forced landing took 104 seconds.

China unveiled the Jian-10 in January 2007. With proprietary intellectual property rights (IPR), the Jian-10 heralds the third generation of Chinese fighter aircraft.

Military observers say the Jian-10 can not match the United States' fourth-generation fighter aircraft in performance but its basic design and onboard equipment are comparable to those of mainstream fighter aircraft in the West.

The committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) of the Air Force has decided to bestow Li Feng with a first-class merit and an honorary medal for his outstanding performance as a pilot.