A Sukhoi Superjet 100 passenger plane tragically crashed near Moscow on Friday, July 12th, during a post-maintenance test flight. All three crew members onboard perished in the accident.
The aircraft, manufactured in 2014, belonging to Gazpromavia, a subsidiary of Russian gas giant Gazprom, had undergone scheduled maintenance at the Lukhovitsy aviation plant. The maintenance was done at a facility located approximately 110 kilometers southeast of the Russian capital.
Following the maintenance, the aircraft departed for a test flight to Vnukovo Airport in the capital but went down in a forested area near Kolomensky District roughly eight minutes after takeoff.
Emergency services, including firefighters and ambulances, were swiftly dispatched to the scene. While the cause of the crash remains unknown as of now, Russian media reports speculate about potential engine failure, possibly due to bird ingestion during takeoff.
The Investigative Committee, Russia’s top state criminal investigative agency, has launched a full-scale probe to determine the exact circumstances of the accident.
The Sukhoi Superjet 100, hailed as a major achievement for the Russian aviation industry upon its entry into service in 2011, has been involved in several fatal accidents since its introduction in 2011, including a fiery runway landing in Moscow in 2019 and a collision with a volcano in Indonesia in 2012.
Officials are expected to release more details regarding the investigation in the coming days. The aviation community awaits further information with bated breath, as understanding the cause of this tragedy is crucial for improving air safety protocols and preventing similar occurrences in the future.
