Hundreds of Russians paralyzed by fear as two passenger planes collide at Sheremetyevo
Illustrative photo: Sheremetyevo Airport (Getty Images)
Two passenger planes collided on the runway at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport: a Sukhoi Superjet 100 operated by Rossiya Airlines and an Airbus A330 of Hainan Airlines, according to Russian media.
At Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, a crew error nearly caused a major tragedy.
While taxiing on the runway, the tail of a Rossiya Airlines Sukhoi Superjet 100 (FV6097/SU6097), bound for Pulkovo in St. Petersburg, was struck. The incident involved a foreign carrier’s Airbus A330 operated by Hainan Airlines, which was preparing for departure to Beijing (HU7986).
As a result, the St. Petersburg flight was delayed by almost three hours. Fortunately, no passengers or crew members were injured, and both aircraft sustained only minor damage.
Initial reports on social media suggested technical issues on board the Superjet, but it was later confirmed that a human error by the crew caused the near-collision. The St. Petersburg departure was pushed from 08:30 PM to 11:20 PM local time.
So far, neither airport authorities nor the airlines have issued official statements. More details on the causes and safety measures are expected soon.
The last major accident involving a Sukhoi Superjet 100 occurred on May 5, 2019, when an Aeroflot aircraft crashed during landing at Sheremetyevo, killing 41 people.
The incident also highlights ongoing chaos at Russian airports. Recently, drone attacks forced the cancellation of nearly 100 flights in Moscow and St. Petersburg, with hundreds more delayed.
