Libyan newspaper Quryna is reporting a crash of a Sukhoi Su-22 ‘Fitter’ fighter-bomber. According to the reporter, the crash happened very near the sea line, to the west of the Libyan city of Ajdabiya – 160km south west of Benghazi. The reason: The crew ejected after refusing to bomb civilians in the city of Benghazi. The pilot – a colonel – and his co-pilot are fine.
This is the third aircraft incident during the popular uprising against Qaddafi. In the first, two Mirage F1 defected, landing in Malta. Two SuperPuma helicopters also escaped to Malta. Nobody knows why the Su-22 pilot decided to eject and crash his aircraft – instead of trying to reach Malta himself – but, at this rate, the Libyan Air Force is going to run out of airplanes soon. [Quryna – in Arabic]