Moscow,  A Russian passenger jet crashed Friday while flying empty, killing its crew of three, officials said.

The Sukhoi Superjet 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 was heading to Moscow's Vnukovo airport following repairs when it crashed.

The Investigative Committee, the country's top state criminal investigation agency, has launched a probe into the crash.