The Aviastar factory in Ulyanovsk, home of Russian military transport planes, was the site of an incident during which one worker was killed and six were injured.
A new-made Il-76 ‘Candid’ cargo plane exploded after a failed pressure test.
The incident occurred inside the hangar where the aircraft was located. It is reported that tests were being conducted using compressed air on the fuselage compartment of the Il-76MD-90A military transport aircraft.
The Ilyushin IL-76MD-90A is a new military transport aircraft developed by Ilyushin Aviation Complex, a subsidiary of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). It was designed to transport military equipment, armed personnel, heavy and long-size vehicles and cargo, apart from airdrop missions.
Il-76MD-90A can carry 126 parachutists or 145 troops in a single-deck arrangement and 225 troops in a double-deck arrangement. It can also house special equipment to carry 114 injured persons.
The aircraft carries an aerial-delivery system (ADS) for dropping of cargo, transportation of armed forces cargo containers and pallets, and troop parachutes.
Russian Aerospace Forces acquire a new version of the Soviet-era transport plane to modernize the service’s airlift capabilities.