An engine problem forced Russia to abort the takeoff of its new T-50 stealth plane at an air show outside Moscow on Sunday, officials said. The pilot "stopped the take-off due to technical defects," a spokeswoman for the MAKS international airshow told AFP, adding that the Sukhoi fighter never even left the ground.
The plane was still undergoing tests so technical glitches were to be expected and the pilot "simply chose not to take risks," the spokeswoman said. A spokeswoman for the state-run United Aircraft Corporation, the parent company of plane-maker Sukhoi, attributed the problem to a fault with the right engine. Experts will be closely looking into what caused the glitch, she told AFP, noting there was no plan to take the plane into the air again later Sunday.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin attended the air show on Wednesday, when the T-50, which is being developed jointly by Russia and India, made its first public flight.