Volga-Dnepr Airlines has confirmed the temporary suspension of its An-124-100 freighter aircraft, effective from November 25.

The carrier's An-124-100 fleet will remain suspended until an investigation by the Federal Agency for Air Transport, which seeks to identify the cause of an “aviation incident” on November 13, is complete.

The incident, which occurred at Tolmachevo Airport in Novosibirsk, Russia, resulted in an An-124-100 having to make an emergency landing. No-one onboard the flight was hurt.

The An-124 flight was a charter from Seoul, South Korea, to Vienna, Austria, with a tech stop in Novosibirsk. 

Commenting on the incident, the carrier said: “On November 13, 2020, soon after take-off, the airplane suffered the uncontained engine fan disk failure of series D-18T, which resulted in engine failure and the loss of control systems.

“Carrying 84 tonnes of cargo with full fuel tanks, suffering engine failure and loss of control elements, the crew managed to avert the disaster, make a 180-degree landing.”

On the day of the incident, Igor Aksenov, general director at Volga-Dnepr Airlines, said: “After the emergency landing, all crew members were examined by medical personnel and most importantly none were injured. At the moment we are cooperating with the aviation authorities and Novosibirsk airport with respect to this event and will thoroughly analyse the situation accordingly.” 

Images of the damaged aircraft, taken on November 13, can be seen at SimpleFlying.com.

The carrier said its aircraft specialists are now working wtih the Federal Agency for Air Transport to identify the cause of the incident.

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