Fire destroys wing (327 words)

Published: 6/5/2001

Volga Dnepr (VD) has experienced a setback, with serious fire damage to one of its An-124-100 under repair at Aviastar in Ulyanovsk, having already been severely damaged in Canada last year. The An-124-100 caught fire last Thursday in the paint shop of Aviastar-SP's affiliate, ZAO Aviastar-Spektr. It was being repainted after a crash at Gander Airport in Newfoundland, when a crew error in the brake settings resulted in the aircraft running off the runway and into boggy ground, resulting in damage to the aircraft's landing gear, wing and airframe. It took several months to recover the aircraft to Aviastar. The repaired aircraft had recently started flight tests and was being prepared for painting, when the solvents being used to clean the wing caught fire. The subsequent blaze lasted 23 minutes and took 16 fire vehicles to bring it under control, leaving one of the aircraft's wings destroyed. Three workers suffered broken limbs as a result of having jumped the 6-8 metres to the ground from the wing, while another suffered severe burns. According to reports, the preliminary investigation has suggested that the fire was caused by a short circuit in the electrical systems of the access rigs. VD and Aviastar have made no comment on the cost of the fire, or when the aircraft will be repaired, but Aviastar says that VD is due to take delivery of a new An-124-100 in July-August. It is unclear what impact the fire will have on the airline, which is now reported to be seeing a pickup in its business, following its break with Heavy Lift. Vladimir Kulakov, Deputy General Director of VD, has announced that his company and the Khrunichev Space Centre are examining the possibility of an alliance that will offer a range of services, covering the delivery of launch vehicles and satellites. The new venture would utilize VD's An-124s, recently used to deliver the new Khrunichev Centre Baikal multi launch vehicle to Le Bourget for the Paris Air Show.

Article ID: 2573