Russian Passenger Jet Crashes Near Moscow

A Russian passenger jet crashed on Friday near Moscow while flying without passengers, resulting in the tragic loss of its crew of three members, as confirmed by officials.

The Sukhoi Superjet 100 went down in a forest close to the village of Apraksino, approximately 90 kilometers (55 miles) southeast of the Russian capital, according to emergency officials.

The ill-fated aircraft belonged to Gazprom Avia, an airline owned by the Russian state-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom. Gazprom Avia stated that the plane had taken off from an aircraft manufacturing plant in Lukhovitsy, located 110 kilometers (68 miles) southeast of Moscow, where it had recently undergone repairs. The flight was en route to Moscow’s Vnukovo airport when it tragically crashed just eight minutes after takeoff.

While the exact cause of the crash remains unknown, some Russian media reports suggest that both of the plane’s engines may have failed, potentially due to bird strikes during takeoff.

The Investigative Committee, Russia’s primary state criminal investigation agency, has initiated an official probe into the crash.

The Russian-made Superjet 100, also known as SSJ100, was initially celebrated by Russian authorities as a significant accomplishment for the country’s civil aviation industry upon its introduction in 2011. However, its safety record has been marred by incidents.

In May 2012, a Sukhoi Superjet 100 crashed into a dormant volcano during a demonstration flight in Indonesia, claiming the lives of all 45 people on board. The subsequent investigation revealed that the crew had been unaware of high terrain and disregarded warnings from the terrain alert system while flying in dense cloud cover.

Another Superjet crashed at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport in May 2019, resulting in the loss of 41 lives. The aircraft was struck by lightning and had to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff. The investigation determined that the pilot, by landing the plane heavily loaded with unburned fuel at excessive speed, caused a rough touchdown that initiated a fire.

Since entering service, the Superjet has encountered various malfunctions and high maintenance costs, dissuading many Russian carriers from investing in it. Russia’s efforts to promote the plane internationally have largely floundered, with few foreign customers ultimately retiring their Superjets from service.