Video: Il-112V Military Transport Aircraft Crashes Outside Moscow During Training Flight

Last week, the Russian company United Aircraft reported that the first prototype of the Il-112V military transport aircraft had carried out a flight from the city of Voronezh to the city of Zhukovsky, near Moscow, to prepare for participation in the military forum Army-2021.

A prototype of Russia's new Il-112V military transport aircraft has crashed in the Moscow Region, a source in the defence sector told Sputnik. The Russian Emergency Services later confirmed to Sputnik that the aircraft had exploded during the fall and is now completely destroyed. 

"A prototype [of the] Il-112V crashed on 17 August during a flight in the Moscow Region", the source said.

Three men were on board and no one survived the crash. 

The press service of United Aircraft reported that a special commission has been set up to investigate the crash.

Russia's Rostec corporation told Sputnik that it has also set up a commission with the participation of aircraft-building research institutes and plants to investigate the Il-112V crash.

"Rostec is establishing an internal commission with [the] participation of experts from aircraft-building research institutes and plants to investigate the cause of the accident of the Il-112V plane, which crashed today during a training flight in the Moscow Region's Kubinka", a spokesman for the corporation said.

The Il-112V military transport aircraft was designed for the transportation and airborne landing of personnel, weapons, and other cargoes with a maximum weight of 5 tonnes. Il-112V is expected to replace the An-26. The cruising speed of the aircraft is 470 kilometers per hour, while its flight range with a maximum load is 1,200 kilometres.

A video appearing to show the plane nosediving and then crashing, has since emerged on social media. The plane reportedly crashed because of an engine fire. 

WARNING: Video contains graphic images. No Evidence to Confirm Authenticity of Footage.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in May that tests of the Il-112V military transport aircraft were being completed. Two Il-112 aircraft were expected to be put into service in 2021.