Let Let Let - Warplanes

Today 24th September 2008 a Serbian Air force G-4 Super Galeb (Super Seagull) crashed on Batajnica airfield near Belgrade. Plane crashed just two minutes after take-off during low level acrobatic exercise for air-show to be held on 27th September. There are still no information about cause of the accident, and the investigation has started. During this accident one of the most experienced Serbian pilot Istvan Kanas lost his life.

Serbian G-4

The Soko G-4 Super Galeb (Super Seagull) is a tandem-seat low-wing advanced jet trainer/light attack jet of Yugoslav origin. The plane was first flown 17 July 1978 and production began in 1982. It was built to replace the G-2 Galeb and Lockheed T-33 in the Yugoslav Air Force. Total of about 90 G-4 were build and among Serbia, Montenegro and Myanmar are operators of this aircraft. This is a reliable aircraft, and for 30 years in service two accidents with tragic human losses happened today and back in 1987 another G-4 had an accident with pilot being killed.

According to the Air force officials the airplane flown by Istvan Kanas was produced 18.12.1989 and had an overhaul 7th February last year, since when this machine flew for 146 flight hours of total 1000 hours resource. Powerplant is One DMB (Rolls-Royce/Bristol Siddeley) Viper Mk 632-46 turbojet, Engine revision was done 30th July last year and had about 194 working hours since then of total 740 hours resource.
Unofficial information’s are that the TOC airplane 23736 was the one that crashed.

Istvan Kanas was born in 1965 and was in charge of Flight-Test Sector (SLI, ex-Flight-Test Center - VOC) of Technical Test Center (TOC). He had over 1800 flight hours about 1400 flight hours on G-4 Super Galeb, he was also member of Aerobatic team Stars flying G-2 Galeb (Seagull).
This is a horrible loss, may he rest in peace.

Darko Mladenovic