A Sukhoi Superjet passenger aircraft crashed in the Moscow region on Friday, with three crew members presumed dead, according to the Russian emergencies ministry. The ministry reported that the plane had crashed in a wooded area near Kolomna, with no casualties reported other than those on board. The cause of the crash remains unclear.
State-owned United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) confirmed that the plane was conducting a test flight following repairs and was owned by Gazpromavia, an airline subsidiary of Gazprom. Swiss aviation intelligence firm ch-aviation noted that the plane was equipped with SaM146 engines, produced by a Franco-Russian joint venture. Russian airlines have faced difficulties in importing aircraft spare parts due to Western sanctions imposed in 2022. UAC is in the process of developing an entirely import-substituted version of the Sukhoi Superjet, though production has yet to commence.
This marks the third incident involving a Sukhoi Superjet since its introduction in 2008, which was Russia's first passenger plane developed post-Cold War. Approximately 150 of these aircraft are currently in operation. The previous incidents include a fatal demonstration flight in Indonesia, resulting in 45 deaths, and a crash during landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, which claimed 41 lives.
