Destruction of an Antonov An-148 in a fatal accident south of Voronezh is a setback for the regional jet programme that comes just days after it obtained extended certification.
The loss of the aircraft is uncomfortably reminiscent of Antonov's previous airliner programme, the An-140 turboprop, an early production example of which - flown by Kharkov-based manufacturer KSAMC's test pilots - crashed in Iran in December 2002.
Voronezh-based airframer VASO owned the An-148-100E which crashed during a training flight today, says the Russian Interstate Aviation Committee.
None of the six crew members survived the accident. The Russian emergency situations ministry says there were two pilots and two engineers on board, plus two representatives of the Myanmar air force.
Russia's United Aircraft identifies the airframe as bearing tail number 61708, adding that the accident occurred at 10:40 Moscow time near the village of Garbuzovo.
It says the aircraft had completed 31 flights and was "intended for delivery to Myanmar" under a contract signed last year.
The An-148 is Ukrainian-designed, powered by Progress D-436 engines, and first flew in mid-December 2004, securing certification in February 2007.
While Ukraine's AeroSvit tested early airframes in commercial operation, Rossiya became the first carrier to operate the serial-produced version from VASO towards the end of 2009.
Rossiya operates six of the aircraft, with 68 seats in two classes. But its entry into service with the carrier has been troubled.
The airline last year publicly criticised the reliability, economics and levels of maintenance support for the type - resulting in VASO's carrying out an improvement programme - while one of its An-148s experienced a serious in-flight upset in June 2010, leading to checks on wiring as well as the production supply chain.
Russia's airworthiness authority approved an English-language version of the An-148-100 only late last month.
This extended certification coincided with approval of the larger 82- to 99-seat An-158 derivative, after a relatively short certification programme comprising just 79 flights totalling 147h.
Among the customers for the An-148, ironically, is the emergency situations ministry which agreed last November to take two of the type in 2012 and 2013.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
