Russian prototype military transport plane crashes near Moscow: reports

A Russian prototype military transport aircraft with three people on board crashed during a test flight near Moscow on Tuesday, international news outlets reported.

The Russian Ilyushin Il-112V military transport aircraft crashed during a training flight near Moscow on Tuesday.

Image: Dmitry Ovchinnikov/TASS via PAP

Russia's United Aircraft Corporation, the plane's manufacturer, confirmed the accident in a statement, but it was not immediately clear if there were any casualties in the crash, the Reuters news agency reported.

According to Russia's RIA news agency, the crew were believed to have died.

Footage of the crash posted online showed the Ilyushin Il-112V plane flying at low altitude with one of its wings on fire, before making a sharp turn and plummeting to the ground.

BREAKING: Prototype of military plane crashes near Moscow, killing all 3 people on board pic.twitter.com/rJXNZKc40g

— BNO News (@BNONews) August 17, 2021

The Il-112V is a light military aircraft being developed to transport troops, weaponry and cargo with a weight up to 5 tonnes, Poland's niezalezna.pl news website reported.

According to Reuters, the United Aircraft Corporation is developing and testing the Il-112V as a replacement for the aging Antonov An-26.

(gs)

Source: niezalezna.pl, Reuters