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So that aircraft can reliably withstand high pressure conditions, they are subjected to tough stress tests during production. At the Aviastar aircraft factory in Ulyanovsk, Russia, one such test has now ended in tragedy.
Ilyushin Il-76 fuselage fails to withstand pressure and explodes (symbolic image)© REUTERS / STRINGER
An Ilyushin Il-76 of the MD-90A military transport variant that is under construction could not withstand the high pressure and is said to have literally exploded, as some media reports say.
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Several factory employees were injured and one person died, the Russian aircraft manufacturer United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) told the Vedomosti newspaper.
Similar incident at Boeing
There was a very similar incident at Boeing in 2019. At that time, a Boeing 777X was almost torn apart during an overpressure test. A cargo door failed to hold the pressure and ejected from the plane's fuselage. Nobody was injured then.
