Antonov 225 reportedly Destroyed

Board Walker · 24-02-2022 3:04pm #1

Not sure how true this is.....

https://www.austrianwings.info/2022/02/antonov-an-225-angeblich-zerstoert-russischer-helikopterangriff-auf-flughafen-hostomel/

As per this story the rumour is it caught fire in a Hangar after a helicopter gun fight broke out over the airport in which it was in, another story is that it crash landed with 16 Crew on board....

Airlive.net are confirming AN225 is on the ground in Hostomel Kyiv but apparently FR24 are reporting it flew to Penang in Malaysia this morning. FR24 is currently using a waiting room with a wait time of 32 minutes.

Noxegon · 24-02-2022 5:24pm

Unfortunately the plane that flew to Penang was an AN124.

UR-82060 (the AN225) is on the ground in GML since its last flight from BLL on February 5.

maconof · 24-02-2022 5:47pm

A real shame if true, going by the sheer amount of reports of it happening it seems most likely.

Saw it last year at SNN, always a fantastic one to watch fly in.

HeidiHeidi · 24-02-2022 6:07pm

Ah no..... it was fairly high up my bucket list to see that IRL some time :(

Noxegon · 24-02-2022 6:33pm

Dmitry Antonov says the aircraft is intact – for the moment anyway.

https://www.facebook.com/antonovd124/posts/10216499468877903

Condor24 · 24-02-2022 7:07pm

Yeah, it's only a material loss on the scheme of things but it was a fantastic site for aviation geeks, and that wing wave leaving Shannon a couple of years ago. I hope the crew are safe wherever they are. They'll not make one again.

GM228 · 24-02-2022 10:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118686718#Comment_118686718

He says it's "whole", but that does not mean it's not damaged or indeed will be lost in due course, there has been some intense fighting at Hostomel Airport in the last few hours since Dmitry posted that message with Ukraine forces apparently taking back control, the area was/is likely subject to fierce attack from air and ground and if Ukraine is back in control I can see Russia repeatedly attacking the airport:-

https://twitter.com/NeilPHauer/status/1496964939034120195?s=20&t=8pYdwi9oS0m3gW3GUhWJUg

Bombing raids are likely to be less forgiving then the targeted helicopter attacks on the airport of last night. The faith of Mriya really won't be clear until all this ends, how long that will be nobody knows.

All that aside even if she survives the conflict there would be every possibility she may never fly again, apparently the maintenance hangers and equipment have been heavily damaged/destroyed and it's possible she may be damaged beyond economical repair or parts required for her are hard to get, take Antaeus for example, apparently she has been sidelined for months due to awaiting simple parts for the rotors which can only be got from Russia, which at the best of times before all this were near impossible to get.

That asides there's also the possibility that Antonov itself may not survive the conflict, some of their A124s were in the air and managed to divert to other locations, but what about the rest of their fleet?

Anyone know what was on the ground other than the 22, 225 and their 74?

GM228 · 25-02-2022 9:27am

If some Tweets, reports and videos coming through this morning are accurate it looks as though the Russians are going for the airport again this morning and throwing plenty at it (potentially worse than yesterday), I would be very surprised if she makes it out of all of this (or indeed any of the rest of the Antonov fleet stranded there), but, at the end of the day as majestic as she is she is only a plane, my true concern is for the people of Ukraine 🇺🇦

Board Walker · 25-02-2022 5:25pm

A good air strike to the runway would send the Russians off to another air field.

Sexual Chocolate · 27-02-2022 11:31am

This photo is doing the rounds on Facebook at the moment.

Condor24 · 27-02-2022 12:12pm

They say that's the hangar it was in, therefore destroyed. Would have been surprised if it survived this much longer anyway. Material loss as they say but I hope they build a new one in peacetime.

Noxegon · 27-02-2022 5:05pm

Sad to see, but as others have noted, a small thing given what's going on.

When all this strive is over I imagine the Ukrainians will have better things to do than build planes – but I have to admit I like the idea of an An-225 NEO.

Sexual Chocolate · 27-02-2022 5:13pm

Ukrainiani Minister for Foreign affairs has announced that the 225 was destroyed.

https://twitter.com/DmytroKuleba/status/1497947370008547332?s=20&t=I1aKiZ2GSnt2X4R3D8O6Yg

GM228 · 27-02-2022 5:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118703314#Comment_118703314

Antonov themselves just said:-

https://twitter.com/AntonovCompany/status/1497967836337041409?t=BRXwjcOc3MSDZARpaOv0RA&s=19

RocketRaccoon · 27-02-2022 6:02pm

Antonov saying they don't know, the official Ukraine twitter saying it is destroyed.

If I was a betting man, I'd say its gone.

Psychlops · 27-02-2022 9:36pm

Why the hell wasnt she flown out before all this!

Sexual Chocolate · 27-02-2022 9:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118705079#Comment_118705079

From my understanding it was under maintenance but as well as that the Ukrainians didn't take the warnings of the west as serious as they should of in regards to the invasion.

crushproof · 28-02-2022 3:52pm

Does anyone know the status of the Ukrainian International airlines fleet? I wonder if they flew them out of the country in time.

munchkin_utd · 28-02-2022 5:35pm

Theres 2 Ukranian Antonov 124s in Leipzig at the mo, plus 3 Russian Volga/Dnepr 124s which wont be going anywhere quick - so it would be an interesting visit to that airport at the moment.

Of the rest, 2 seem to be in Kiev but the others are abroad. https://www.radarbox.com/data/airlines/adb?tab=photos

Ironically, the Russian ones are in Leipzig for servicing so its a wonder the Ukranians didn't think of doing that with the 225 (although.... maybe getting a hangar big enough would be an issue for the worlds biggest plane!).

Kat1170 · 28-02-2022 5:46pm

Seen it a little over a month ago in Rzeszow.

GM228 · 28-02-2022 6:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118709651#Comment_118709651

I believe they only had 1 124 in Gostomel along with the 225, 22 and 74, possibly all lost.

The other 124 in Kiev is actually at Sviatoshyn for the last year (receiving upgrades I believe), that is the location of the Antonov plant (and the location of the second unfinished 225), there has been no mention if that was one of the many airports targeted.

Antonov are still operating (obviously not from Gostomel, possibly from Sviatoshyna) and I believe Amtes Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Service in Leipzig is the only company outside of Ukraine and Russia who have the expertise and parts to keep Antonov aircraft going, so they can still run a limited service, but, I'm sure the parts will only last so long and supply lines from the Ukraine and Russia will be limited if non existent.

Also worth remembering their pilots and crews, just like their aircraft are also currently displaced and no sign in sight of them getting back to base.

Gaoth Laidir · 01-03-2022 12:09am

"99% sure that it's destroyed". Straight from the horse's mouth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY7qtAmv7Ak

GM228 · 01-03-2022 12:40pm

He also confirms the AN26, AN28 and AN74 destroyed, no mention of the AN22 or AN124.

GM228 · 01-03-2022 12:50pm

Only spotting it now, but Ukroboronprom (the parent company of Antonov) confirmed in a press release on Sunday that she has indeed been destroyed, but, they also said they will rebuild her:-

https://ukroboronprom.com.ua/en/news/rosiyani-znishhili-an-225-mriya-vona-bude-vidnovlena-za-kosti-okupanta

"And after the victory, we will definitely finish our new "Mriya", which has been waiting for this in a safe place for many years"

Obviously talking of using the second unfinished AN225, and probably more of a statement of defiance, weather that happens or not only time will tell, certainly can't see them getting $3bn off Russia to do it.