Yakovlev Flags Fuselage Defects in 14 Sukhoi Superjet 100 Aircraft

The manufacturer of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 passenger aircraft, PAO Yakovlev, has flagged design defects in the fuselages of 14 airliners.

This is according to internal documents reviewed by state-owned RIA Novosti.

“During the operation of the RRJ-95 aircraft, a deviation from the design documentation was discovered in the form of a lack of fasteners at the joint of stringers 42–44 with the duplicate beam of frame 12 of section F2 of the fuselage. This discrepancy could potentially have been allowed on aircraft with serial numbers 95104–95117,” Yakovlev wrote in a letter to Rosaviatsia dated May 15.

The defect may affect airworthiness, prompting Yakovlev to issue a special technical bulletin for inspections. According to data on the russianplanes.net registry, seven of the listed 14 aircraft remain in service: five operated by Yamal Airlines, and one each by Rossiya Airlines and Azimuth.

On August 1, Rosaviatsia ordered inspections of the aircraft and instructed that flights must be restricted if the fuselage defects are confirmed.

The Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ-100) is a Russian-built short-haul passenger jet capable of carrying 98 passengers over 4,400 kilometers. The model first flew in 2008 and entered commercial service in 2011. United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) is currently developing a new version, the SJ-100, designed to replace foreign-supplied components.