One of Irkut’s MC-21 prototypes overran the runway at the Zhukovsky Aerodrome and came to a stop in heavy snow during an emergency braking maneuver, Irkut parent United Aircraft Corp. confirmed in a tweet on Monday. The incident involved prototype 73051, the first Pratt & Whitney PW1400G-powered MC-21 built.
UAC confirmed that the overrun happened during tests for an interrupted flight with the use of emergency braking and simulated failure of one engine. The company reported that it found no visible damage and no system failures. None of the crew suffered injuries.
Now one of five MC-21 narrowbodies, the airplane conducted the program’s first flight in May 2017. Just last month the first MC-21 powered by domestic Aviadvigitel PD-14 engines performed its first flight. Designated as the MC-21-310, the PD-14-powered aircraft emerged as a reaction to the threat of tightening economic sanctions by the U.S. that might limit the amount of Western content in the new narrowbody. Russia has since offered the PD-14 to power China’s Comac C919 to address U.S. sanctions against that country.
UAC expects the model to receive Russian type certification for the PW1400G-powered MC-21-300 by the end of the year.