Fire and destruction of a Russian cargo plane on 07/01/22 at Hangzhou Airport in China.
Cargo Plane Fire at Hangzhou Airport
During the pushback phase, a fire broke out onboard the aircraft as it was preparing to take off for Novosibirsk. It was carrying 20 tons of cargo, including lithium batteries.
Irreparable Damage Following the Cargo Plane Fire
Despite rapid intervention by emergency services, the fuselage broke in two, causing irreparable damage. The flames did not reach the exterior of the fuselage, which was submerged in foam and water, but sufficiently weakened it from the inside causing it to split in two. The Russian Civil Aviation Authorities declared that the plane will likely never fly again! Given the condition of the still-smoking wreckage, this was to be expected!
The Tupolev had been in service for 20 years and belonged to the Aviastar-TU company.
The investigation is ongoing, but the cause is likely due to a human error by the airport's ground teams.
No injuries among the 8 crew members.
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Photos: Associated Press, Airliners.net - Source: avionslegendaires.net
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