Accident: Il-76 freighter catches fire after takeoff and crashes in Russia

Russian Air Force aircraft caught fire and crashed. Fifteen people died in the accident.

The crash of a Russian Aerospace Force (VKS) Ilyushin Il-76 freighter left 15 people dead this Tuesday morning (12), in the Ivanovo region. Images of the accident show the aircraft with one of its engines on fire before crashing in the area northeast of the capital Moscow. 

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According to eyewitnesses, the military freighter had just taken off when it suffered a birdstrike – a collision with birds – in the right wing engine, which caught fire.

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Just before the plane impacted the ground, the engine detached from the pylon that connects it to the wing, as seen in the video below. The aircraft crashed near a cemetery in the village of Bogorodskoye.

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A spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed to the agency TASS that the jet was occupied by seven engers and eight crew and all of them died in the accident. He also states that a team is already investigating the causes of the accident. 

The accident just over a month ago after the crash of another Il-76, in a Russian region on the border with Ukraine. On that occasion, Moscow said the jet was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war. The Ivanovo region is located more than 700 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. 

About Il-76 

The Il-76 is a military strategic transport jet aircraft developed by Ilysuhin and manufactured by Aviastar and the Tashkent Aviation Production Association. It was designed in the 1960s to perform where the Antonov An-12 turboprop could not. It received the NATO designation Candid. 

It is powered by four Soloviev D-30KP engines, but an upgraded version (Il-76MD-90A) received the more economical and powerful Aviadvigatel PS-90A-76 turbofans. Depending on the version, the jet can carry between 42 and 60 tons of cargo. The Il-76 was also adapted to perform early warning (radar) and in-flight refueling (tanker) functions. 

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Although initially intended for military use, the Ilysuhin Il-76 was also acquired by a series of civilian companies, mainly from countries aligned with the former Soviet Union. More than 900 Il-76s were produced. 

Gabriel Centeno

Author Gabriel Centeno

Journalism student at UFRGS, spotter and military aviation enthusiast.

Categories: Military, News, News

Tags: accident, IL-76, russia

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