MC-21-300 test aircraft suffered a landing gear issue during a test flight on October 3, 2019. The manufacturer of the Russian passenger jet in-the-making, UAC, said that despite the issue, the landing was normal, while local media reports that emergency landing took place at Zhukovsky airport in Moscow.
The flight test, which lasted for over an hour, assed “a number” of MC-21 systems, according to the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). After the test, the plane landed normally, the company stressed in a statement.
The incident happened during the final stage of the test and was caused by, presumably, incorrectly triggered landing gear indication, according to UAC. Meanwhile, Russian News Agency TASS reports, by quoting a source from emergency services, that the plane developed technical problems with its hydraulic system. One of the landing gear legs failed to retract.
The MC-21 flight testing program is taking place at Zhukovsky International Airport (ZIA) in Moscow. Three aircraft are participating in the program.
The MC-21 is a medium-haul plane capable of carrying between 132 and 211 passengers, a prized market segment. It is destined to replace the Tu-154 and Tu-204 in Russia and will compete with two best-sellers, the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320.