Russian MC-21-300 Aircraft Rolls off Runway, No Damage Reported

Russia’s MC-21-300 airliner rolled off the runway during tests of its emergency braking systems and simulated failure of one engine.

“The crew was not injured and no visible damage to the aircraft was found. Besides there was no system failure,” United Aircraft Corporation (UAC)  reported today. The reasons for the incident are being investigated, UAC said in a tweet from its official handle.

The Irkut MC-21-300 prototype stopped in the snow off the right side of the runway at Zhukovsky International Airport, several Russian publications reported.

The aircraft was engaged in tests involving aborted takeoffs and emergency braking with the simulated failure of one engine. During one of these tests, takeoff was commenced from runway 30. After aborting the takeoff, the aircraft went off the right side of the runway and came to a full stop in the snow.

On the 15th of December 2020 the MС-21-310 aircraft equipped with the new Russian PD-14 engines made its maiden flight from the airfield of Irkutsk Aviation Plant.

The General Director of PJSC UAC, Yury Slyusar had said then: "MC-21-310 heads to the development tests and joining the certification program. The ability for customers to choose the type of aircraft engine expands the aircraft's market potential and reduces the risks of the program."

Due to U.S. sanctions, UAC had had to replace several major components and parts of the aircraft with locally-made ones. it is not yet known if the emergency brakes were among them.