Locally repaired Russian commercial plane crashes during ‘test flight’

The Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100), which entered service in 2014, crashed in a forest area near the village of Apraksino, about 90 kilometres (55 miles) southeast of the Russian capital, on Friday, July 12. It was carrying no passengers, but its three-member crew were killed.

TASS, Russian state news agency Reported The plane, which belonged to Gazprom Avia, a company owned by Gazprom Energy Group, crashed during a test flight after repair work, the TASS news agency reported. According to a spokesman for the airline, the plane took off from the Lukhovitsy aircraft manufacturing plant and was heading to Moscow’s Vnukovo airport when it crashed eight minutes after takeoff.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known, but some Russian media reports suggested that both planes’ engines may have failed, with some suggesting a bird strike, a fuel problem, or a failed local repair.

Later reports said the test flight was not licensed by Rosaviatsia, the federal air transport authority, which is why the Investigative Committee, the country’s top criminal investigation agency, launched an investigation into the incident.

Despite being a domestically produced aircraft, the SSJ100 incorporates many Western-sourced components, including the French-made Safran SaM-146 engine. Prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Safran maintained, designed, and manufactured parts for its engines, but withdrew from Russia in March 2022.

Sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union after Russia’s full-scale invasion have deprived the country’s aviation industry of the support foreign aircraft manufacturers need to keep their planes safe in flight. In-flight emergencies and other aviation-related incidents have also increased.

In 2023, nearly 700 incidents were reported, of which 400 were related to equipment failures causing fires and other engine malfunctions during flights, damage to landing gear, malfunctioning flaps, and failure of guidance systems.

In May, it was reported that Russia was now confident in its ability to maintain and repair the “hot” parts of its aircraft in the future, including engines, auxiliary power units, landing gear, etc. The crash of this aircraft after it was repaired domestically should certainly raise doubts about this.

A statement from state-owned defense company Rostec said people should not “rush to conclusions” about the cause of the accident.

The SSJ100 was introduced in 2011 and was hailed as a major achievement for Russia’s civil aviation industry and the great white hope for reducing the country’s dependence on Western aviation.

However, since entering service, the aircraft has suffered from breakdowns and high maintenance costs which have made Russian airlines reluctant to purchase it, and attempts to market the aircraft abroad have largely failed with those few foreign customers who have purchased it since taking their Superjets out of service.