Volga-Dnepr Airlines has announced the temporary suspension of its Antonov An-124 operations following an uncontained engine failure incident that occurred at Tolmachevo Airport in Novosibirsk.
The Russian airline has said that as of 25 November, operations on all eight of its An-124 aircraft will be suspended in order for the planes to have their engines inspected.
“This is a well-thought-through decision,” chief commercial officer Konstantin Vekshin said of the move.
“We want to be proactive and pre-emptive and demonstrate that we are a responsible airline where safety comes first. We have not received any official notifications or service directives yet, and there are no preliminary conclusions, so we have to suspend the entire An-124 fleet with immediate effect.”
The airline hopes for the completion of an investigation into the engine failure incident, which occurred on 13 November.
At the time, World of Aviation reported that the An-124 was forced to make an emergency landing in Novosibirsk, Russia, shortly after take-off following an uncontained engine failure.
The aircraft, registration RA-82042, had 14 people and 84 tonnes of cargo on board, and was operating a charter flight from Seoul to Vienna when it returned to Tolmachevo Airport in Novosibirsk shortly after departure.
Upon landing, the plane overshot the runway by around 200 metres with collapsed gear and was severely damaged. Luckily, no injuries were reported.
Witnesses on the ground reported sighting two of the four engines trailing smoke upon departure.
The incident resulted in a total loss of communication with the aircraft, and the loss of transponder signals.
Further, engine shrapnel from the damaged plane fell through the roof of a warehouse near the airport, also without causing any injuries.
Following the incident, the Federal Agency for Air Transport set up a commission and investigation, hoping to uncover the causes of the incident.
