Il‑76 military transport aircraft crashes near Ivanovo, Russia

A military transport aircraft, the Il-76, crashed in Ivanovo, northeast of Moscow. Eyewitnesses reported seeing smoke in the vicinity of the northern airport. Military equipment was dispatched to the crash site, as reported by the Nexta agency.

On March 12, around 5:00 AM Eastern Time, an Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft crashed in the Ivanovo region, announced the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The crash occurred shortly after takeoff, with 15 people on board: eight crew members and seven passengers, as the ministry reported. According to preliminary findings, one of the engines caught fire. A special commission from the Supreme Command of the Russian Air Force dispatched to the accident site is tasked with determining the exact cause of the crash.

As reported by the Telegram channel Baza, the aircraft had taken off from Severny Airport and remained airborne for several minutes. During a turn, one engine caught fire. According to preliminary reports, the pilot attempted to return to the airport, but upon realizing this wasn't possible, he steered the aircraft away from residential areas. Shortly after, the plane crashed near a cemetery adjacent to a forest.

Witnesses described seeing plumes of smoke and hearing explosions. Social media shared footage of the incident, showing the aircraft circling in the sky with an engine ablaze before it began its sudden descent.

Source: Nexta, RIA Novosti, Baza