Engine Failure Caused Russian Il-76 Cargo Plane Crash that Killed 4

Russia’s Defense Ministry has said that the Il-76 crashed in the western city of Ryazan on Friday after one of its engines failed.

According to reports, the Il-76, that took off from Urals city of Orenburg, was attempting an emergency landing in Ryazan shortly after refueling in the city. One of the engines caught fire a minute after refueling, and the plane erupted in flames.

While some unconfirmed reports say the aircraft was headed to Ukraine to fuel President Putin’s war efforts, others say its destination was Belgorod on the Ukrainian border.

The defense ministry did not indicate whether the Il-76 was transporting soldiers for deployment in Ukraine.

Of the nine people onboard the ill-fated aircraft, four are dead and five are injured.

This comes just a day after Antonov-30 aircraft survived a terrifying crash with the pilot being hailed for saving the lives of 7 people onboard. The An-30 carrying 6.3 tons of cargo disappeared from radar while approaching Yakutia’s Olenek airport. The aircraft made a hard landing and was discovered around 70km away from the Village of Olenek. On Tuesday, an An-2 plane with two crew members, one passenger and one ton of cargo on-board, went missing from radars in Yakutia. Search operations started on the same day but rescuers have yet to find it.

The Ilyushin Il-76 is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union’s Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a commercial freighter in 1967, as a replacement for the Antonov An-12. Most Il-76 aircraft are at least 30 years old.