"Rostransnadzor" suspends flights of YaK-42 of "Grozny Avia" airline

After the air crash of YaK-42 near Yaroslavl, which claimed 43 human lives, Russia suspended operation of eight aircrafts of this model; in particular, after the emergency inspection held by the Federal Agency for Transport Supervision ("Rostransnadzor"), the operation of the YaK-42 belonging to the "Grozny Avia" was suspended.

On September 7, at departure from the airport "Tunoshna" near Yaroslavl, a crash down happened of the YaK-42, which performed a charter flight of hockey players of the Yaroslavl Club "Locomotive". Out of 45 persons on board 43 perished. The two survivors - a hockey player Alexander Galimov and a steward Alexander Sizov - are under intensive care.

According to estimates made by the "Caucasian Knot" based on data from open sources, the North-Caucasian and Southern Federal Districts (NCFD and SFD) of Russia have at least 27 YaK-42 aircrafts. In particular, the NCFD has 10 aircrafts of this model, of which six are not used because of arrest or disassembled condition. Of these 10 aircrafts, five belong to the "Grozny Avia" (one is not used), two - to the "Alania Airlines", the flight certificate of which was stopped by aviation authorities in December 2009 (both aircrafts are not used), and three - to the "Elbrus Avia"(are not used.). The SFD has 17 YaK-42 aircraft; of them, 14 belong to the airline "Kuban" (two are not used) and three - to the "VolgaAviaExpress", whose flight certificate was annulled on July 20, 2010 (that is, the crafts are not used).

As of September 9 and since the catastrophe in Yaroslavl, inspectors of the regional offices of the "Rostransnadzor" examined six YaK-42 crafts and prescribed to suspend operation of three of them until detected violations are eliminated. These are the aircrafts of the "Grozny Avia" and "Gazpromavia", stationed at the "Vnukovo" Airport, and the aircraft of the "KrasAvia", stationed at the "Emelyanovo" Airport (Krasnoyarsk).

"On the outcomes of inspection, operation of the aircraft YaK-42D of the 'Grozny Avia' stationed at the 'Vnukovo' International Airport (Moscow) was suspended. Director General Zulgaev has received an inspector's prescription," the website of the "Gosavianadzor" reports.

Besides, the Closed Joint-Stock Company (CJSC) "Aviation Company Yak-Service" has suspended its five YaK-42 aircrafts, in order to perform a set of measures aimed to reduce the operating risks of these aircrafts.

In total, globally, there exist today 158 aircrafts model YaK-42 (including modifications), operated by 43 airlines, according to the website Russianplanes.net, including 101 crafts in Russia, two in Armenia and one in Georgia.