The Pulkovo Airlines Ilyushin Il-86 - bound for St Petersburg - came down in a forest about 700 metres (2, 300 feet) from the airport.

BBC: Moscow crash jet 'stabiliser jammed'

Early Wednesday morning, a Russian Ilyushin II-76 Candid cargo jet sent its first batch of humanitarian aid to Japan, the Russian Emergencies Ministry, EMERCOM, said.

FORBES: Connect

Other large air freighters already flying include the Russian-built Ilyushin Il-76, the U.S.-made Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and, largest of them all, the Antonov An-225 -- also Russian.

CNN: China's new super cargo jet takes to the skies