Sukhoi Superjet crash analysis: excessive airspeed and descent led to disaster

The Sukhoi Superjet that crashed in the Moscow Region exceeded its designated airspeed, leading to a fatal dive, according to Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC).

The incident occurred six minutes into the flight when the aircraft entered a descent with increasing pitch angle at an airspeed of 320 knots, triggering the Overspeed alarm. Despite the crew’s efforts to recover using the control stick, they were unsuccessful.

Key details include:

• Pre-Takeoff and Initial Ascent: The crew engaged automatic thrust before takeoff and activated the autopilot at 550 feet.
• Descent Initiation: At an altitude of 5,160 feet and an airspeed of 200 knots, the aircraft began descending at a 4-degree angle while the flaps and slats were fully retracted.
• Manual Control: The autopilot and automatic thrust were disengaged during the descent. The crew switched to manual control using the side stick and engine thrust controls. The descent reached 4,500 feet before a brief climb to 4,750 feet.
• Crash Details: The plane crashed at 14:59:15 Moscow time with a final recorded airspeed of 365 knots, a vertical descent rate of 17,000 feet per minute, a pitch angle of 25 degrees downward, and a roll angle of 25 degrees to the right. The engines were operational until impact.

The aircraft, owned by Gazpromavia, was en route from the Lukhovitsy repair facility to Vnukovo airport and crashed near Kolomna, resulting in the deaths of all three crew members. A criminal investigation has been launched into the crash.