Two pilots killed as Tu-95MS bomber crashes after all 4 engines fail

Two pilots died when the strategic bomber with seven on board crashed on Tuesday in the Russian Far East. 

'Both pilots were killed,' said the defence ministry in a statement.  'According to reports from the scene, the pilots were killed during landing.'

The other five crew members were found alive and in a 'satisfactory' condition after parachuting from the doomed plane. They are in hospital in Khabarovsk but their lives are not in danger. 

The plane was on a training exercise and not carrying any missiles, say military sources. 

'The crew abandoned the jet,' said the defence ministry earlier as the drama was unfolding. 

'According to preliminary data, after the aircraft commander reported an emergency situation, the flight commander ordered the crew to leave the aircraft on parachutes.

'Pilots aboard another plane flying in that area reported seeing open parachutes of the Tu-95 crew.'

The plane was lost some 80 km from the city of Khabarovsk. 'The jet crashed in a desolate area, there is no damage on the ground,' said the ministry.

Flights of the strategic bombers have been suspended pending a probe. 

The accident was the sixth involving Russian military aircraft this summer, reported news agencies. The ministry said the crash was probably caused by a malfunction, although other causes were not ruled out, reported Sputnik News Agency.

TASS news agency cited sources saying a failure of the plane's fuel valves led to the failure of all four engines. 

The Tupolev Tu-95 (NATO reporting name Bear) is a four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform in service with the Russian Air Force since 1957.