Second Beriev Be-103 prototype crashes with loss of test pilot

Published: 5/13/1999

It now seems that previously unconfirmed reports of the crash of the second Beriev-103 prototype are true. Details of the crash are sketchy, beyond the fact that Mr Vladimir Dubenski, the Beriev test pilot, was killed. The light amphibian aircraft was developed in the early 1990s as part of the conversion program for the Russian military-industrial complex. It was intended to carry passengers and cargo, on short domestic routes, in those regions lacking a developed network of airfields, but with suitable areas of open water. The Be-103 is a low-wing monoplane with extensive wing extensions to the forward fuselage. It has two piston engines - Teledyne Continental TCM IO-360ES4 - positioned on two pylons above the wing. These are high up on the fuselage, so protecting the engines from water on take-off and landing. The aircraft can carry five passengers or 400 kg of cargo. On-board equipment includes Bendix King avionics, with the option of Russian equipment for Russian clients. The Be-103 production line will be at KnAAPO, in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. For certification trials, the factory assembled two prototypes. The first one, Side 3001, made its maiden flight on July 15th 1997. It crashed on August 18th 1997, during a training flight before the MAKS"97 air show in Zhukovsky. Investigations revealed that the Beriev test pilot, Mr Vladimir Ulianov, inadvertently reached a high angle of attack, leading to a deep stall at very low height. The test program was resumed on November 17th 1997, with the first flight of the second prototype, Side 3002. The aircraft made its first flight from water on April 24th 1998. KnAAPO and Beriev believe that the market for the Be-103 will exceed 600 units, including 230 outside of the CIS. Marketing studies conducted by the two companies concluded that Russia needs 385 such aircraft, including 30-40 for the Federal Wood Service and 60-80 for the Border Guards Service. Other potential users are the Defense Ministry, Ministry for Emergencies, Militia, tourist companies, small regional airlines, corporate air operators and private pilots. Beriev has also announced that its turbofan amphibian, the Be-200, has completed its initial program of 19 fights of 26.5 hours duration. The last flight, on April 28th 1999, was the ferry from IAPO in Irkutsk to the Beriev facility in Taganrog, with stopovers in Novosibirsk and Ufa.

Article ID: 510