The United Aircraft Corporation actually only wanted to simulate a simulated engine failure, but the test with the Irkut MS-21 literally failed. The aircraft came off the runway in the course of the aborted take-off at Zhukovsky Airport and got stuck in the snow. Nobody got hurt.

The prototype with the registration RA-73051 was only supposed to test a simulated engine failure during take-off. There was no mention of a trip into the snow. The manufacturer now wants to investigate how this could come about. In any case, the MS-21 got stuck and could no longer leave the predicament on its own.

According to official information from the manufacturer UAC, the machine came off the post during an emergency braking that was made in the course of the test. The MS-21 then slid into the deep snow and - as can be seen in the photos - sank quite well. The aircraft manufacturer also emphasizes that there have been no system failures and no damage is visible. Nevertheless, the prototype will now be examined carefully. There are also no injuries.

The Irkut MS-21 is a prestige project of the government of the Russian Federation. The medium-haul jet is to compete with the Boeing 737-Max series and the Airbus A320neo family. So far, it has only been possible to collect a few pre-orders outside of Russia.