Rescuers Meet Pilot Walking Down Mountain

ANN REALTIME UPDATE 08.24.07 1315 EDT: ANN has confirmed with the airshow community the identity of the pilot of a Suhkoi Su-31 that went down Thursday in Virginia.

He is famed aerobatic pilot and coach Sergei Boriak, who -- in addition to his accomplishments as an aerobatic performer -- has also trained such notable performers as Patty Wagstaff, Gene Soucy, Mike Goulian, Kirby Chambliss, and Matt Chapman.

Aero-News is awaiting an update on Boriak's condition. As reported earlier, rescuers met the pilot as he walked down a hill from the accident site, and transported him to an area hospital.

It isn't clear if Boriak rode the aircraft in, or if he bailed out.

The FAA Preliminary Report states the accident aircraft, Boriak's aerobatic Sukhoi Su-31, was destroyed in the crash.

ORIGINAL REPORT

Virginia State Police report a 1999 Sukhoi SU-31 went down Thursday afternoon in a wooded area in northern Fauquier County.

State Police Sgt. Les Tyler said the pilot was taken by ground ambulance to Winchester Medical Center where his condition was unknown, according to the Fauquier Times-Democrat.

The aircraft caught fire on impact, Tyler said. It went down several miles off US 17 near the Thompson Wildlife Preserve in a heavily wooded area.

A nearby resident who saw the aircraft go down notified authorities. Rescue personnel from the State Police, Fauquier Sheriff's deputies and several fire and rescue personnel searching the area encountered a man coming down off the mountain... who turned out to be the pilot.

The Federal Aviation Administration was also notified.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 131BW        Make/Model: SU31      Description: Su-31
  Date: 08/23/2007     Time: 1500

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: MARSHALL   State: VA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A WOODED AREA NEAR ROUTE 17, FAUQUIER COUNTY,
  MARSHALL, VA

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   1
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: OVC 1600 FEET VISIBILITY 4 SM

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

FMI: www.faa.gov