A Russian military transport aircraft has crashed in the Ivanovo region of Russia, with all seven crew members feared dead. The aircraft, an Antonov An-22, which is known as the largest turboprop aircraft globally, went down in the Uvodskoye Reservoir in the Furmanovsky District. It was on a test flight following repairs conducted by the Russian defense ministry.
Rescue teams have located fragments of the aircraft in the water, indicating a grim outcome for the crew. According to an emergency services source cited by the Russian news agency TASS, the An-22 aircraft crashed with all seven people on board.
The Russian defense ministry confirmed the incident, stating that the military transport aircraft crashed during a test flight in an uninhabited area of the Ivanovo region. The An-22, which first flew in 1965 and gained attention at the Paris Air Show that same year, set numerous aviation records and was extensively used by the Soviet Air Force for various missions.
Despite its historical significance, the An-22 has seen a decline in operational capacity over the years. Currently, the Russian air force has three active An-22 aircraft, with an additional 10 in storage, intending to phase them out by 2024. The reliance on aging aircraft in Russia’s transport fleet poses risks as maintenance challenges and spare part shortages increase.
This tragic incident is not the first involving an An-22 aircraft in Russia. In 2010, another An-22 crash resulted in the loss of all 12 crew members on board. The cause was attributed to an inadvertent acceleration beyond design limits during an emergency descent. Such incidents highlight the challenges faced by countries like Russia as they manage aging aircraft in their fleets.