Russian investigators have opened an inquiry after an S7 Airlines Boeing 737-800 freighter overran the runway while landing at Norilsk on 8 August 2026, the second runway excursion involving an S7 aircraft in less than six weeks.
According to FlightGlobal, the event occurred at about 15:00 local time following a cargo service from Moscow Domodedovo. The West Siberian transport prosecutor's office said the freighter "rolled off the runway" during landing. Images released by the prosecutor's office identified the airframe as RA-73468 and suggested the aircraft came to rest still on the paved surface rather than in the surrounding terrain.
Russia's federal Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk region confirmed that neither of the two crew members on board was injured. Officials stressed that "the cause and circumstances of the incident are being determined," and no preliminary explanation for the excursion has been offered.
The incident is notable because it follows another overrun by an S7 aircraft only weeks earlier. In late June, an S7 passenger Boeing 737-800 suffered a runway excursion at Mirny airport in the Sakha Republic. Two events of the same type on the same aircraft family, in quick succession and both at remote Siberian airfields, are likely to draw close attention from investigators examining whether operational, environmental or surface-condition factors played a role.
Norilsk is one of the most isolated airports in the world, serving a mining city above the Arctic Circle with challenging weather and limited diversion options. Cargo operations into such fields often rely on a small number of aircraft flying demanding schedules, and runway excursions — where an aircraft departs the paved surface during landing or take-off — are among the most common categories of commercial aviation occurrence worldwide, even when they cause no injuries.
The Boeing 737-800 in question is a converted freighter, one of many former passenger jets given a second life hauling cargo as newer types enter airline fleets. These aircraft retain the reliable 737NG airframe but are fitted with a large main-deck cargo door and a reinforced floor in place of the passenger cabin, making them a workhorse for regional and express freight networks.
For now, S7 faces the immediate task of recovering the aircraft and clearing the runway, while investigators gather flight-data and airfield information. No damage assessment has been made public, and the airline has not issued a detailed statement on the cause. The findings of the Russian investigation will determine whether the two recent excursions are unrelated coincidences or point to a common thread worth addressing across the operation.
Sources: FlightGlobal. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Marco Bianchi.
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