On July 12, the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) announced that a Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft owned by Gazpromavia crashed in the Moscow region during a test flight after scheduled maintenance. The three pilots on board were killed.
Chronology of Events
– Following regular maintenance, the aircraft took off from the manufacturer for Vnukovo Airport.
– The crash took place near the village of Apraskino in the Kolomna urban district.
– TASS reports that Sukhoi Civil Aircraft pilots took off from Zhukovsky Airport for a post-maintenance test flight.
– The crash occurred around 3 p.m.
According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM), the crash killed two pilots and a navigator, with no deaths among the population.
The crash inquiry will be conducted by the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), which will include Rosaviatsiya professionals. The leader of Kolomna, Alexander Grechishchev, has arrived at the site. He reported that the crash location has been roped off, and emergency services and forensic investigators are on the scene.
The Western Interregional Investigation Department for Transport of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has opened a criminal case for violating safety rules for the operation and use of air transport, resulting in the death of two or more people due to negligence (Part 3 of Article 263 of the Russian Criminal Code). The Moscow Interregional Transport Prosecutor’s Office has scheduled an inspection.
According to TASS, which cites operational services, engine failure could have caused the crash.
About the Model
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 has been in production since 2008 and is intended for passenger transportation. It can hold 87 to 108 passengers. According to accessible databases, the crashed aircraft first flew in December 2014 and was delivered on March 5, 2015.
According to the press department of PJSC United Aircraft Corporation, the aircraft was produced in 2014. The developer and manufacturer specialists will assist with the accident investigation as needed.
As of January 2023, 232 Sukhoi Superjet 100s had been built. Airlines that fly these planes include Azimuth, Aeroflot, Gazpromavia, Rossiya, and others.
Incidents with SSJ 100
On May 9, 2012, a Sukhoi Superjet was involved in its first significant incident during a demonstration flight in Indonesia. The plane took out from Jakarta and crashed on Mount Salak. All 45 people on board died. The crash was caused by the pilot and the air traffic controller errors.
Another well-known incident occurred at Sheremetyevo Airport in May 2019, when a Sukhoi Superjet 100-95B, an updated type, crashed while landing. That accident killed 41 people.
