On March 12, at about 13:00 local time, russia lost another IL-76 military transport aircraft near Ivanovo, Ivanovo Oblast, russia.
The Ministry of Defense of the russian federation reported that the plane was on a scheduled flight with 15 people on board. The official cause of the plane's crash was an engine fire, which subsequently fell off the plane.
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The IL-76 aircraft crashed before reaching airfield near local cemetery in the north of the city between villages of Podtalitsy and Bohorodskoye.
It is also worth noting that this loss of the IL-76 aircraft is quite similar to the last known crash of such plane in Ryazan, on June 24, 2022, when the engine caught fire during takeoff.
Although in reality, the loss of one of four engines is not a catastrophic consequence for IL-76 military transport aircraft. This aircraft can take off even with three engines.
If we exclude the crew's mistakes, the reason why the IL-76 aircraft could have crashed due to a fire could be an abnormal operation of the fire suppression system in the air. Despite the fact that the flames were extinguished, the structure could not withstand the temperature loads as well as the engine fell off during the flight. This could have led to malfunctions in the aircraft's control system ss well as to scenario in which the engine broke apart due to defects and disrupt the hydraulic systems.
In addition, the Crimean Wind Telegram channel also reported, citing russian media, that Ivanovo Severny air base is one of the places for deployment of A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft. According to the report, passengers of the crashed IL-76 could have been officers-operators of the A-50 AEW&C aircraft.
It should be noted that only one IL-76 aircraft has been lost due to engine fire since 1975,not including these two cases. It was lost near Baku in 1989. The cause of the crash, which took lives of 57 people (including 48 paratroopers), was a structural defect of the D-30KP two-shaft low-bypass turbofan engine with the destruction of the shaft bearing.
Earlier Defense Express reported that russia's Taganrog plant, attacked by Ukraine's Forces, had repaired Tu-142 ASW planes.
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