A Russian newspaper said the loss of a MiG-29K off Syria was not due to technical difficulties on board the fighter. Instead, the cross deck pendants (CDP) on carrier Admiral Kuznetsov had snapped during the landing of a MiG-29K. The flight deck crew was unable to replace the arresting cables in time for the third jet to trap.
Photo: Forsvaret
All three jets were returning to land and the second aircraft damaged the second and third cable during its landing. The last aircraft was circling when both engines quit, probably due to fuel starvation.
Luckily, the pilot ejected and was recovered.