MOSCOW: A Sukhoi Superjet 100 passenger plane that was carrying three crew members, crashed during a test flight in the Moscow Region, officials said on Friday.
The aircraft according to to the local authorities went down in the Kolomna district, southeast of Moscow, with emergency services promptly dispatched to the scene.
Videos on social media captured a plume of smoke rising from the crash site, while others showed ambulances and firefighter crews rushing to the area. A helicopter was also seen hovering nearby.
The Russian Emergencies Ministry confirmed the plane crashed in a forested area.
“There were three crew members on board. Preliminary information indicates they all perished. There are no civilian casualties,” the ministry stated.
The aircraft, owned by Russian gas giant Gazprom, was undergoing repairs and had taken off for a test flight, officials noted.
Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency announced that the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), operating under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of Independent States, would lead the investigation, with the involvement of Russian experts.
The Sukhoi Superjet 100, a regional jet developed by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft and a division of the United Aircraft Corporation, began its development in 2000. It made its maiden flight in May 2008 and entered commercial service in April 2011. The aircraft can seat approximately 100 passengers.
Operations of most Superjet 100s by various Russian operators have been hampered by a shortage of spare parts due to Western sanctions.
The aircraft has a history of accidents, the most recent in 2019 at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. A flight bound for Murmansk returned after being struck by lightning, crash-landed, and caught fire, resulting in 41 passenger fatalities.
