Albanian MiG fighter explodes at Tirana airport

alertnet ^

[ma bell]

TIRANA, Sept 16 (Reuters) - A fully armed MiG-19 fighter plane exploded shortly after take-off on Thursday morning from Tirana's Mother Teresa international airport, an Albanian defence ministry spokesman said.

The aircraft, part of Albania's ageing military fleet of Chinese-made MiGs, was on its way to a firing range, spokesman Igli Hasani said.

The MiG-19 is a single-seater jet fighter, which was initially produced by the Soviet Union.

"We're 99 percent sure the pilot is dead because the plane turned into a ball of fire," a police spokesman said. All flights at Mother Teresa International airport were immediately cancelled.

[FesterUSMC]

hmmm F-15 falls out of the sky yesterday in Saudi Arabia now another plane in another Islamic nation..

[Semaphore Heathcliffe]

"We're 99 percent sure the pilot is dead because the plane turned into a ball of fire."

Sounds like they grow 'em sensible in Albania.

[Constitution Day]

snicker

[FesterUSMC]

About Albania

70% Muslim

[68skylark]

I don't think we should read too much into this. Any fighter designed in the 1950's (whether in the east or the west) was prone to this sort of thing. And as the years go by, the aircraft aren't getting any younger.

[pabianice]

The MiG-19 is fifty years old. Like the US still flying the F-84.

[FesterUSMC]

true... just noticing a trend.. if we see another one tomorrow... start to think about a conspiracy :^D

[pabianice]

[FesterUSMC]

huh? Like the US still flying the F-84.

[conserv13]

Between 1990 and 1992 Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy.
The transition has proven difficult as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks with links to high government officials, and disruptive political opponents

Sounds like a great place! Seriously, their entire economy was once a big ponzi scheme, and when it went bust the entire country fell apart.

[conserv13]

Mother Teresa was Albanian.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Well the Saudis(& other Persian Gulf nations) do have pretty excellent maintainance facilities manned by Brits,Pakistanis,Egyptians & who knows,even Americans-these nations are belching with cash.Albania on the other hand,is the poorest nation in Europe & would have been mistaken as a part of sub Saharan Africa if the folks there weren't white.The correct designation for this fighter should be the F-6(Chinese clone of the Mig-19) & this is an out & out late 50s-60s fighter,unlike the Saudi F-15S or UAE Mirage-2009s.

[FesterUSMC]

Looks like something Canada would still use..

[Sub-Driver]

A MIG 19 is an old hunk of junk.....probably the bolts fell apart..

[Chemist_Geek]

True, but it seems off to use the airport they named after her as an AFB...

[FesterUSMC]

If i lived around 70% Muslims I would be glad my airport was named that LOL

[GeraldP]

The country's main (and only) civilian airport was being used, since the nearby airbase was under construction.

[GeraldP]

The pilot's name was Jani Tarifa, which indicates he was an Orthodox Christian Albanian.

Also you should heed the warning in the CIA factbook: "percentages are estimates; there are no available current statistics on religious affiliation". I personally would estimate this number at closer to 50-60%.