Sukhoi Superjet-100 passenger plane crashes near Moscow due to failure of French engines

A Sukhoi Superjet-100 passenger plane crashed in the Moscow region in the evening of July 12. The aircraft crashed in the Kolomna area while returning from scheduled repairs.

There were only three crew members on board, but no passengers. All three were killed in the crash.

It was said that the aircraft was flying in circles for more than an hour to burn off fuel. When approaching the third circle, the plane crashed. The crew members managed to send a distress signal shortly before the disaster.

According to eyewitnesses, the pilot took the plane away into a wooded area. An explosion was heard and thick smoke appeared from the site of the plane crash. No one was hurt on the ground, no destruction was reported either.

According to Mash Telegram channel, the plane had French SaM146 engines. The supply of spare parts for them to Russia has been suspended since 2022.

Not far from the crash site, a Sukhoi Superjet New powered with domestic PD-8 engines was undergoing a test flight at the time when the Sukhoi Superjet-100 crashed.

The Sukhoi Superjet-100 was produced in 2014 and was operated by Gazpromavia.

The plane was flown by 53-year-old pilot Evgeniy Bulavko. The second pilot of the plane was 44-year-old Maxim Lukmanov. Pilot Vladislav Kharlamov was also on board.

The Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case into the plane crash. It is believed that the aircraft may have crashed due to an engine failure.