A Russian passenger jet crashed Friday while flying without passengers, killing its crew of three, officials said.
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 went down in the Moscow region, according to Russian emergency officials.
The authorities said the plane belonged to Gazprom Avia, a carrier owned by the Russian state-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom.
They said the plane took off from an aircraft-making plant at Lukhovitsy 110 kilometers (68 miles) southeast of the Russian capital where it had undergone repairs. It was heading to Moscow's Vnukovo airport when it crashed.
The Investigative Committee, the country's top state criminal investigation agency, has launched a probe into the crash.
A Sukhoi Superjet crashed at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport in May 2019, killing 41. It was struck by lightning and made an emergency landing shortly after takeoff. The probe blamed the pilot, concluding that he landed the plane heavy with unburned fuel at excessive speed, resulting in a rough touchdown that sparked a fire.
