Design flaws discovered in Russian-made Superjet 100 aircraft

Fourteen Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ-100) aircraft are operating flights across Russia despite fuselage design flaws.

Source: The Moscow Times

Details: It was reported that the manufacturer, JSC Yakovlev, alerted the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) to the defects. Rosaviatsiya has required operators using these aircraft to carry out inspections and, if necessary, perform repairs.

"All aircraft in this batch were produced in 2016. According to russianplanes.net, these SSJ-100s are operated by Rossiya (one aircraft), Azimuth (one) and Yamal (five). Several planes are in storage with various organisations, including the Sukhoi Design Bureau and Yamal," the report stated.

Yakovlev has identified several areas on these aircraft where the stringers, which connect the fuselage structure, are not properly secured. Problems may occur, for instance, between the cockpit and the passenger doors.

Background:

• Russian aircraft manufacturers have been unable to produce domestic equivalents of foreign bearings and electronic components required for planes. Anatoly Gaidansky, CEO of Aerocomposit, stated: "Our bearings are nowhere near what our industry needs… The other critical issue is the electronic component base."
• Earlier reports noted that Russia’s civil aviation sector is one of the parts of its economy most affected by unprecedented sanctions, airspace closures, spare parts embargoes, and refusal to service Western-made aircraft.
• Sukhoi Superjet 100 planes, already struggling due to a lack of Western spare parts, are now at risk of being withdrawn from service. The "pride of Russian aviation", which was unprofitable from the start, has become dangerous to operate after sanctions, with incidents doubling over the past two years.
• Reports also highlighted that Russian airlines’ Boeing and Airbus fleets are "held together with tape and goodwill", analysing how sanctions and the war are effectively dismantling Russia’s civil aviation and whether its aircraft will ultimately be grounded. 

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