Russian military plane crash kills 16 as aircraft filmed crashing into forest
A military transport plane with 15 people on board crashed on Tuesday while taking off from an air base in western Russia.
The Russian Defence Ministry said the Il-76 aircraft with eight crew and seven passengers on board crashed in the Ivanovo region. It said in a statement that an engine fire during takeoff was the likely cause of the crash.
Ivanovo is a city northeast of Moscow and is more than 700km from the Ukrainian border. Footage circulating on social media shows the plane descending towards the ground in a forest with one of its engines on fire - and black smoke rising from the crash site.
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The Russian Defence Ministry said that a military transport plane crashed on Tuesday
The plane crashed on Tuesday"At about 1:00 p.m. Moscow time, an IL-76 military transport aircraft crashed during takeoff for a scheduled flight in the Ivanovo region," the Defense Ministry was quoted as saying by the state-run TASS news agency. "According to reports from the scene, the cause of the disaster was a fire in one of the engines during takeoff of the aircraft," the Defence Ministry added.
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Footage shows that the flames had subsided on the engine as the place went lower. Some accounts say the crew managed to extinguish the fire, but then the troubled engine is seen falling off the aircraft as witnesses had said.
The plane then attempted an emergency landing. It came down near the village of Podtalitsy, just over one mile from the military airfield. A rescue helicopter was sent to the site amid thick black smoke pouring from the crashed plane.
The final death toll was put at 16, even though only 15 crew and passengers were listed on the manifest. The four-engine Il-76 is a heavy-lift transport plane that has been in service since the 1970s with the Soviet and then Russian Air Force.
The bodies of ten victims were found, according to local reports (visegrad24/Twitter)Tuesday's crash came on a day when the Defence Ministry reported dozens of attacks on Russia by Ukrainian drones. In the past, Ukrainian drones hit some military air bases deep inside Russia. Military experts have noted that as the number of Russian military flights increased sharply during the fighting in Ukraine, so did the crashes.
Pro-Putin Telegram channel WarGonzo said: "It is clear that the plane's engine caught fire. The cause of the accident is being investigated. An investigation team left for the crash site.
"The crew steered the falling plane away from the city. At the cost of their lives, they were able to prevent the tragedy. For pilots, war is everywhere. Including in the rear, where the weather is bad and an emergency situation can overtake you in the sky above your home.
"And in this situation, you also need to find the strength to act like a man. The hero pilots proved that they are true Russian officers. We express our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims."
An engine fire during takeoff was the likely cause of the crash, said the Russian Defence MInistry (KyivPost/Twitter)According to loyalists SHOT media outlet, the burning Il-76 was piloted away from residential buildings by a 34-year-old pilot from Orenburg. "The pilot was very experienced, had many hours of flight time, and his family was proud of him," said a report. SHOT said that there are fears all 15 on board the Il-76 were killed.
Telegram channel Voevoda Veshaet reported: "It is noticeable that the pilots managed to put out the burning engine, but apparently something went wrong and the plane crashed in a forested area near the Severny airfield."
It is not the first time that a Russian military Il-76 aircraft crashes. On January 24, a plane crashed in a ball of fire in Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine. The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed that it was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, six crew, and three escorts on board Il-76 military aircraft that crashed in Korochansky district, Belgorod Oblast.
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A video shows the plane out of control and lurching towards the ground, then a huge fireball as it crashed. Some reports suggested it was on fire as it came down, but the cause remains unclear.
Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov confirmed an incident without giving full details. "Currently, an investigation team and employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are working on the spot," he said. "I have changed my work schedule and gone to the area. All details later."
Starsche Eddypro-war Telegram channel said: "Judging by the video, the Il-76 military transport aircraft was on fire before the fall. Fire is visible in the area of the left engine."
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