Superjet-100 crash claims lives of pilots during test flight in Moscow region

A Superjet-100 aircraft crashed in the Kolomensky district of the Moscow region during a test flight following scheduled maintenance.

The incident was reported by Russian media through operational services, per Caliber.Az.

"The aircraft, owned by Gazprom, was undergoing routine maintenance. Today, it was on a test flight with a crew of three onboard," the source stated.

"Initial reports indicate that all three pilots tragically lost their lives," the source continued, confirming there were no passengers aboard.

In the past two months, Russian airlines have encountered a series of incidents involving technical failures. In early July, an Airbus 320 had to make an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo airport.

On June 10, an Aeroflot Boeing 737 experienced a pneumatic wheel failure during takeoff at Dubai airport, resulting in pieces of rubber damaging the left wing console.

Earlier, on June 2, technicians discovered severe cuts in the landing gear wheels of nine Rossiya Airlines Superjet-100s at Sheremetyevo Airport, necessitating urgent wheel replacements.

The frequency of airplane incidents in Russia has surged following sanctions imposed by the USA and the EU due to the Ukraine conflict. These sanctions include prohibitions on supplying new airliners to Russia and providing maintenance services for Russian aircraft.