Il-76 crashes at Irkutsk but crew escapes alive with two hospitalised

Published: 7/29/1999

According to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations an Il-76 crashed on 26th July at Irkutsk. The aircraft transiting through Irkutsk to Perm from China crashed and caught fire close to the Irkutsk Airport. All seven crewmembers survived, although two were hospitalised. An Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) commission headed by Victor Khramtsov, is underway to investigate the crash of the aircraft owned Estonian operator Etimex, on lease to Elf-Air based at Zhukovsky, Ramenskoye (Moscow Region). MAKs have reported that the flight recorders have been recovered and are currently being returned to Moscow for analysis. The Head of the Transport Police of East Siberian MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs) General Nikolay Pucker said to a ITAR-TASS correspondent that the crash of Il-76 may have been caused by the overload or insufficient ‘takeoff acceleration". Reports of the load however, say the aircraft was carrying 30 tons of cargo within the aircraft"s capacity. According to Ilyushin the aircraft was produced in 1991, suggesting that it was far from the end of its service life, but were unable to make any comment about the aircraft"s condition. According to MAK the Il-76 has had nine accidents since 1995 of which 5 have involved Il-76 registered in the CIS

Article ID: 720