Executive jet reportedly carrying Prigozhin that crashed had good safety record
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A file photo from May 9, 2023, showing an Embraer Legacy 600 private jet (plane number RA-02795) at Pulkovo Airport in Russia, likely the same plane that Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was reportedly on when it crashed.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MOSCOW – The Embraer executive jet that crashed in Russia, apparently with Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin onboard, has recorded only one accident in over 20 years of service, and that was due to mistakes by the crew rather than mechanical failure, according to website International Aviation HQ.
The Russian authorities said Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on a private jet that crashed
Embraer on Wednesday said it was aware of a Legacy 600 plane crash in Russia, but it did not have further information about the case.
It also said it had been complying with international sanctions imposed on Russia and had not been providing aftermarket maintenance for the aircraft since 2019.
Sanctions block Western planemakers from providing parts or support for aircraft operated in Russia.
Flightradar24 online tracker showed that the Embraer Legacy 600 jet (plane number RA-02795) said to be carrying Prigozhin had dropped off the radar at 6.11pm local time. An unverified video on social media showed a plane resembling a private jet falling out of the sky towards the earth.
Under international rules governing air crash investigations, Russia would lead the investigation, but Brazil could participate since the plane was manufactured there, Brazil’s Centre for Research and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Cenipa) said in a statement.
However, there had been no communication from the Russian authorities to Cenipa about the accident in Russian territory, it added.
The Legacy 600 entered service in 2002, according to International Aviation HQ, with almost 300 produced until production ceased in 2020.
There has been only one recorded accident, in 2006, involving a Legacy 600. It was on its way from the Embraer factory in Brazil to the United States when it crashed mid-air into a Gol 737-800, International Aviation HQ said. Despite damage to the Embraer aircraft, the pilot landed the plane with its occupants uninjured.
A subsequent inquiry attributed blame to the crew rather than any mechanical failure, the website said. REUTERS
