There is no turning back for Russia’s An-22 turboprop heavy transport after a fatal crash

A Russian military Antonov An-22 Cock Heavy Transport aircraft crashed today in the Ivanovo region, about 125 miles northeast of Moscow, killing all crew members. The incident is particularly notable for the fact that the Soviet-era aircraft was widely reported as being retired about 18 months ago. Exactly why the plane was still flying is unclear, but it raises some questions about the overall status of the transport arm of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

The turboprop-powered airlifter crashed near the village of Ivankovo, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s main federal investigative authority. Witnesses reported seeing the An-22 break up in mid-air and parts of the fuselage falling into a reservoir near the village. A video posted on social media purportedly shows rescue teams removing pieces of the plane from the Uvodskoye reservoir.

Russia’s investigative committee has not yet released how many people were on board the plane, although the official TASS The news agency puts the number at seven, and unconfirmed reports on social media provide the names of each.

Russian state media cited the Russian Defense Ministry as suggesting the An-22 was on a test flight “after repairs” when it crashed, suggesting it was in the process of being returned to service.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has confirmed that a search team has been deployed to the crash site and an investigation into the crash has begun.

Citing anonymous sources, The merchant According to the trade magazine, the accident may have been due to a technical fault.

In August last year, there were unconfirmed reports that Russia had finally completely ceased operations of its An-22 fleet. At this time, it was suggested that the last example, registration number RF-09309, built in 1974, was flown from its home base of Migalovo in the Tver region of western Russia on August 16, 2024 to Yekaterinburg in the Ural Federal District. It was put on permanent display at PVershmaya military. However, recent satellite imagery of the collection shows no An-22, suggesting those plans may have changed.

Potentially, RF-09309 is the same aircraft that crashed today, or it could be one of four other An-22s that were still active with the 196th Military Transport Aviation Regiment of the Russian Aerospace Forces as of June 2024.

At that point, the commander of military transport aviation, General Vladimir Venediktov, said the Russian government-owned VGTRK Broadcaster that the An-22 was going for retirement before the end of that year.

That the An-22 survived that long, let alone an example that was still flying today, is something remarkable.

As you can read in detail here , the An-22 was designed and built by the Antonov Company in Kiev, then the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The prototype flew on February 27, 1965, making it the world’s heaviest aircraft at the time.

In common with the Tupolev Tu-95 Bear bomber, the An-22 was powered by four massive Kuznetsov NK-12MA turboprops, each rated at over 14,805 horsepower and driving eight-bladed contra-rotating propellers, over 20 feet in diameter.

The powerplant gives the An-22 a distinctive mechanical roar, as heard in the video below.

In all, between 1966 and 1976, 68 An-22s were completed, including two prototypes.

Entry into service with the Soviet Army took place in January 1969, and the aircraft was particularly valued for its ability to accommodate external loads.

More than 132,000 pounds of cargo can be carried. Alternatively, the cargo hold of the An-22 had space for 151 paratroopers or 292 standard troops, carried on two decks. However, the main cargo hold was not pressurized, except for the forward cabin with seats for 29 personnel.

Cargo items included complete missile systems, as well as large and heavy military vehicles, via a large rear loading ramp. The aircraft can also operate from tight airfields if required.

By the early 2000s, the An-22’s career seemed almost over, with only nine airworthy examples at Migalovo. This was now outnumbered by the more capable, jet-powered An-124 Condor, which entered service in the 1980s as the world’s heaviest production transport aircraft capable of carrying a typical payload of 300,000 pounds.

However, the Russian military chose to keep the An-22 in limited numbers, as it was cheaper than the An-124, but had much greater grip than the Ilyushin Il-76 Candid.

Plans to modernize the surviving An-22s failed, however, reducing the active Russian Aerospace Forces fleet to five.

The sixth was still operated by the Antonov Design Bureau in Kiev until it was damaged beyond repair during the fighting at Hostomel Airport at the start of a full-scale Russian offensive.

The fact that at least one An-22 is preparing to return to active service with the Russian Aerospace Forces seems to paint a bleak picture of its air transport arm.

While it still operates a significant number of Il-76s, in the case of heavy transport, Russia has also failed to restore production of the An-124. The main problem has been the lack of a suitable engine – the original D-18T turbofan motor was produced by Sych at a plant in Zaporizhia, Ukraine. Meanwhile, Motor Sich is also the only company capable of overhauling these engines, reducing the availability of the Russian An-124 fleet. This factor may also have prompted the planned return of the An-22 to service.

Plans to develop an all-new, all-Russian successor to the Ukrainian-designed An-124 have also so far failed to materialize.

Overall, the Russian transport aircraft fleet is rapidly aging, and this may have contributed to other recent accidents.

In July this year, a civilian-operated Antonov An-24 Kok twin-turboprop regional airliner crashed near Tinda in the Amur region of eastern Russia. All 42 passengers and six crew members on board were killed. The long obsolete aircraft was built in 1976.

In the same month, two people died when an An-2 Colt utility transport crashed in the Krasnodar region of southern Russia. The An-2 was first flown in 1947, and the Soviet Union and Russia have collectively failed to develop a suitable successor to a type in widespread use.

There have also been other Russian transport aircraft losses that may or may not be linked to the conflict in Ukraine, as well as pinpoint attacks on these aircraft by long-range Ukrainian drone strikes.

At the same time, the fleet, in general, is suffering from the effects of sanctions, especially when it comes to readiness levels.

With the war in Ukraine still raging, the Russian military’s demand for heavy lift airlift will only continue. Whatever the cause of today’s crash, it’s a blow to the Russian Aerospace Force. Barring the slim possibility that a contractor could try and acquire the remaining aircraft to exploit its unique capabilities, it seems entirely unlikely that the An-22 will find its way back into regular service after this latest incident.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com