3 Russian bomber pilots killed by ejection system glitch

MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian military says that three members of a Russian bomber’s crew have died when their ejection seats accidentally activated during preflight checks. The Russian Defense Ministry said that the incident happened Tuesday at a military airbase in the Kaluga region, about 145 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Moscow. It said the crew of a Tu-22M3 long-range bomber was preparing for a training mission when its rescue system malfunctioned and accidentally bailed the crew out. The ministry said the three crew members died of injuries. Russian media reports said the fourth crew member survived the incident. An official probe into the incident has been launched. The Tu-22M3 is a supersonic twin-engine long-range bomber, which is capable of carrying nuclear weapons.