Pilot lands Jian 10 after engine fails

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-03-23 09:48

The pilot of a Jian 10, China's most advanced military aircraft, made a successful emergency landing after the fighter jet's engine failed during a training flight, reported China Central Television (CCTV) on Sunday.

Li Feng had been in the middle of a difficult maneuver at 4,500 m on March 7 when a warning started to flash on his control screen, the report said.

Li, a deputy regiment commander of the air force, realized the plane might lose power at any moment and requested to return to base after a quick systems check.

The engine stalled when the fighter was still 7 km from the airbase and the fighter began to fall at a speed of 25 m per second, said CCTV. However, Li was able to use the aircraft's inertia to steer it towards the runway.

And despite a malfunction to the drag parachute, which failed to release, the pilot landed the plane before taxiing down the runway for 1,400 m, according to the report.

The emergency landing lasted a total of 104 seconds, CCTV reported.

China unveiled the Jian 10 in Jan 2007 and heralded it as the third generation of Chinese fighter aircraft.

Military observers said the Jian 10 could not match the United States' fourth-generation fighters in performance, but its basic design and onboard technology are comparable to those of mainstream aircraft in the West.

The air force committee of the Communist Party of China will award Li Feng a first-class merit and an honorary medal for his outstanding performance as a pilot.

Xinhua