Volga-Dnepr Airlines Flight 4066

On 13 November 2020, Volga-Dnepr Airlines Flight 4066 encountered an uncontained failure of an engine during takeoff from Tolmachevo Airport in Novosibirsk, Russia, en route to Vienna International Airport in Austria. The aircraft sustained significant damage and experienced a runway overrun upon returning to Tolmachevo for landing. Investigations into this event remain underway.

Aircraft

The airplane involved was an Antonov An-124 Ruslan bearing registration RA-82042 and manufacturer's serial number 9773054055093. This particular aircraft first took flight in 1991 and was equipped with four Lotarev D-18T turbofan engines.

Accident

Flight 4066 operated by Volga-Dnepr Airlines was a charter cargo service originating from Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea, destined for Vienna, Austria, with a scheduled stop at Tolmachevo Airport in Novosibirsk, Russia. The initial segment of the journey on 13 November 2020 proceeded without complications. Departure from Tolmachevo towards Vienna occurred at 12:09 local time (UTC+7), corresponding to 05:09 UTC. Shortly after liftoff, the aircraft's No. 2 engine suffered an uncontained failure. Fragments from the damaged engine penetrated the fuselage and wings, impairing electrical systems including the ADS-B transponder and disabling the braking system. Additionally, engines three and four were affected. Communication with air traffic control was lost during this critical phase.

The crew managed to return to Tolmachevo Airport; however, upon landing, the aircraft exceeded the runway limits by approximately 300 meters, resulting in collapse of one set of its nose landing gear wheels—only one of two nosewheel assemblies had deployed correctly prior to touchdown. The braking system, spoilers, and thrust reversers were rendered nonfunctional. All fourteen individuals aboard survived without injuries. Post-accident, engine No.1 remained operational for three hours before it could be safely shut down due to damage sustained.

Recovery operations commenced on 27 November to relocate the aircraft from its final resting position to a maintenance apron for repairs. This effort utilized two BREM-1 armored recovery vehicles to maneuver the incapacitated plane.

Investigation

The Interstate Aviation Committee (Russian: Межгосударственный авиационный комитет; МАК) holds the authority for probing civil aviation incidents within Russia. On February 18, 2021, the West Siberia Investigative Department announced that the primary factor behind the accident was the failure of the fan disk in engine number two. Rostovia continues its detailed examination of the engine, with the inquiry approaching its concluding phase.

Aftermath

On November 25, Volga-Dnepr Airlines made the decision to suspend operations of its entire An-124 Ruslan fleet. This suspension followed the identification of defects in several of the 60 engines owned by the airline. The plan involves conducting thorough inspections to enable these engines to be certified for service again, permitting the aircraft to resume flights. In response to this grounding, Antonov reactivated its An-225 Mriya for commercial use, augmenting its own An-124 fleet which was already operating at maximum capacity.

See also

• Air France Flight 66
• United Airlines Flight 232