A Russian official said that a passenger plane carrying three crew members crashed near Moscow during a test flight. All three people on board were killed.
According to a spokesperson for the operating department, the Sukhoi SuperJet 100 aircraft belonged to Gazprom, the Russian natural gas industry company, and had recently undergone scheduled maintenance before the test flight on Friday. The three crew members on board were from Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company.
The Sukhoi SuperJet 100 took off from Zhukovsky Airport bound for Vnukovo Airport in Moscow. The purpose of this test flight was to ensure that all systems of the aircraft were functioning properly after maintenance. Zhukovsky Airport is a major aviation hub known for testing and aerospace research.
The Russian Emergency Services Department released a statement on Friday, July 12, saying that the plane crashed in a forested area near Moscow. There were no civilian casualties. Emergency service personnel have cordoned off the crash site and are conducting an investigation.
According to the BBC, Rostech, the Russian state-owned defense industry group, stated that the aircraft had been in operation since 2014. This is the third aviation accident involving the Sukhoi SuperJet 100 since 2012.
As reported by Aviation24.be, all three crew members on board the aircraft were experienced pilots responsible for assessing the performance and safety of the aircraft after maintenance.