Local authorities in Moscow, Russia have confirmed that a Sukhoi Superjet 100 passenger aircraft has crashed near the capital city, with three crew members on board.
According to local officials, the aircraft went down on Friday afternoon in the Kolomna district in southeast Moscow, with three crew members on board.
The Russian Emergencies Ministry said in a statement that it verified the incident. It stated that the aircraft went down in a wooded region.
“Three crew members manned the plane. Based on initial reports, all of them have perished.
“Fortunately, there have been no casualties among residents,” the statement read.
Authorities immediately sent emergency response teams to the crash site.
Russian majority state-owned energy company, Gazprom owns the plane, which usually accommodates 87 to 98 passengers.
According to the authorities, it was in the midst of maintenance work and was performing a test flight at the time of the crash.
Russian media reported that the aeroplane involved in the accident was manufactured in 2014 and handed over to Gazprom, the sole operator of the jet, the following year.
The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia announced that the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) would investigate the incident.
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IAC is under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of Independent States, comprising various post-Soviet republics. Additionally, Russian specialists will also participate in the probe.
Following severe sanctions imposed on Russia by the West, due to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has faced challenges in modernising its ageing aircraft fleet.
It has been working on the Sukhoi Superjet, a regional jet, for a considerable period now to replace Western-manufactured aircraft. Russia has not been able to service and maintain the aircraft.
The Sukhoi Superjet project has faced challenges over the years due to engineering obstacles and manufacturing delays.
This is because engineers have encountered difficulties in substituting crucial Western avionics parts.
Sukhoi Superjet 100, which first flew in 2008, has a long and troubling history of multiple accidents.
The latest incident took place in 2019 at Sheremetyevo Airport.
A flight bound for the northern city of Murmansk had to turn back to Moscow after being hit by lightning.
The aircraft subsequently crash-landed at the airport and burst into flames, resulting in the deaths of 41 people. (eTurboNews)
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