A Russian military transport plane crashed in the Ivanovo region of Russia, with all seven crew members feared dead. The aircraft, an Antonov An-22, known as the world’s largest turboprop aircraft, went down in the Uvodskoye Reservoir in the Furmanovsky District. The plane, operated by the Russian defence ministry, was reportedly on a test flight post repairs when the incident occurred.
Rescue teams discovered fragments of the aircraft floating in the water, indicating a tragic outcome for all those on board. An emergency services source informed the Russian news agency TASS about the crash, stating that the An-22 with seven occupants had crashed in Ivanovo.
The Russian defence ministry issued a statement confirming the crash, mentioning that the military transport aircraft went down during a test flight after repairs in an uninhabited area of the Ivanovo region. The An-22, which first flew in 1965 and gained attention at the Paris Air Show the same year, has a significant history in the aviation industry, setting numerous world records and being used by the Soviet Air Force for various missions.
Despite its historical significance, the An-22 has seen a decline in operational availability over the years. Currently, the Russian air force has three active An-22 aircraft, with plans to phase them out by 2024 due to maintenance challenges and sourcing difficulties for spare parts. This incident adds to concerns about the risks associated with using aging aircraft to meet transport needs, potentially leading to more incidents in the future.
Notably, a similar crash involving an An-22 occurred in 2010, resulting in the loss of all 12 crew members on board. The investigation revealed that the previous incident was caused by an inadvertent acceleration beyond the design limit speed during an emergency descent.