A Sukhoi Superjet 100-95 recently suffered an electrical failure during its descent into Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO). The aircraft, operated by Russian flag carrier Aeroflot, was eventually able to land safely following inflight checks by its pilots. But what exactly happened, and what has become of the aircraft involved since?
What happened?
The incident occurred on November 10th, during the descent of flight SU1259. This is a domestic service between the Russian cities of Ufa and Moscow, scheduled to take just under two and a half hours. On this date, The Aviation Herald reports that, during the descent into the Russian capital’s Sheremetyevo airport, its crew reported an electrical failure. This resulted in a partial loss of the aircraft’s electrical power supply.
The failure occurred at 34,000 feet (FL340), affecting numerous electrical systems on the aircraft. One consequence was a change in the aircraft’s cabin altitude. As such, the crew requested to descend to 10,000 feet (FL100), with air traffic control clearing them to do so shortly afterward. At this point, the aircraft entered a holding pattern. This allowed the crew to work through various technical checklists in an attempt to fix the issues.
Having done so, the flight was eventually able to land safely on runway 24R at Sheremetyevo. The touchdown occurred around 50 minutes after the crew first declared the emergency. Despite the multiple failures and the subsequent need to run through numerous safety checklists, FlightRadar24.com reports that the flight landed 21 minutes early, at 21:04 local time.
The aircraft involved
The aircraft that operated Aeroflot flight SU1259 on November 10th bore the registration RA-89104. It is one of 54 examples of the Sukhoi Superjet 100-95 in the Russian flag carrier’s fleet, of which Planespotters.net reports that 14 are currently grounded. Aeroflot took delivery of the aircraft on December 30th, 2017.
Like all of the carrier’s SSJs, RA-89104 features a two-class seating configuration. SeatGuru reports that this consists of 12 reclining business seats in a 2-2 layout, and 75 economy seats in a 2-3 layout. According to FlightRadar24.com, the aircraft has remained on the ground in Moscow since the incident on November 10th.
Other Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet incidents
This incident is not the only one in recent memory involving an Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet. Others have included:
- May 5th, 2019 – Flight SU1492 crashed on landing in Moscow following an electrical failure caused by a lightning strike shortly after takeoff. 41 passengers perished in the subsequent fire, and Russian authorities formally charged the flight’s captain at the end of the year.
- March 31st, 2020 – Flight SU1101 experienced a hydraulic failure while coming in to land in Moscow. The aircraft landed safely with no injuries to any of its 80 occupants.
- May 5th, 2020 – Flight SU1356 suffered an engine failure upon departure from Moscow. It made a safe emergency landing 30 minutes later, having only reached 8,000 feet on its initial climb out of Sheremetyevo due to the engine failure.
- May 28th, 2020 – Flight SU7663 was forced to perform an engine shutdown during a flight between Moscow’s Zhukovsky (ZIA) and Sheremetyevo airports. It landed safely at SVO around 40 minutes after its departure from ZIA.
Have you ever flown on a Sukhoi Superjet? Or would the prevalence of incidents involving the type put you off doing so? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
