The Tu142 was Russia’s answer to the American B52 that has been in service for 50+ years. Many Tu142’s are nearly as old as their American counterparts. Recently pushed back into service in international patrols as a show of renewed Russian military force, the aging Tupolev is the worlds’ fastest prop driven aircraft.

The recent crash of a Tu142 has been a major news item in Russia for several days. Late reports today blame the failure of one or more of its unusual engines.

Engine failure could have caused Friday’s crash of a Russian military Tu-142 plane in the Tatar Strait, the chief of the Russian General Staff said on Wednesday.

“The commission will complete the probe and find out,” Gen. Nikolai Makarov said.

The exact cause of the crash could be established only after black boxes from the plane are found.

Eleven people were on board the Pacific Fleet plane that went down during a combat training flight on Friday some 20 kilometers (12 miles) off the Tatar Strait, which separates mainland Russia from the Far East island of Sakhalin. (RIA Novotosi)

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