Planes Clipped At Manas Airport

The Kyrgyzstan government blames a US Air Force flight crew for a September ground collision at Manas airport in Bishkek.

As Aero-News reported, a US KC-135 tanker and a Kyrgyz Tu-154 clipped wings while the Tupolev was taking off. The Kyrgyz jet was able to get airborne... but had to return for an emergency landing.

The KC-135 caught fire, destroying one engine before emergency crews got the blaze under control. None aboard either aircraft was injured.

In a report filed by the goverment commission that investigated the incident, Kyrgyz Transport Minister Nurlan Sulaimanov said the Tupolev’s crew couldn't see the KC-135 it hit, because of darkness and an uneven runway.

The US has a military base at Manas, that focuses on troop support and a refueling base for planes operating in nearby Afghanistan.

The US embassy hasn't returned calls from the Associated Press for comment.

In addition to being the largest aircraft flying for Kyrgyzstan's national airline, the Tu-154 is often used as a transport plane for Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and Prime Minister Felix Kulov. Neither man was on the plane during the incident.

FMI: www.airport.kg/eng/index.html