Russian aircraft crash kills 145

Airline Industry Information, July 4, 2001

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2001 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

A Russian aircraft operated by the domestic carrier Vladivostokavia crashed yesterday (3 July) in Siberia.

The three-engine Tu-154 had made two failed attempts to land in the city of Irkutsk, where it was where it was to refuel and drop off some passengers, and crashed on the third attempt. No problems with the aircraft had been reported during take-off from Yekaterinburg, and it was not immediately clear what problem had prevented it from landing.

There were 136 passengers and nine crew on board the aircraft, including 12 Chinese nationals and six children. All are reported to have been killed in the crash and a spokesman for the Russian Emergencies Ministry said that 143 bodies or fragments of bodies had been found at the scene. Operations to recover bodies from the wreckage of the aircraft are underway.

The two flight recorders have been recovered and are being examined by aviation officials.

Security officials have apparently been searching for signs of explosives, but the Deputy Transport Minister Karl Ruppel has stated that the wreckage appeared to be too compact to indicate an explosion, Reuters reported. Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu has suggested that engine failure may have been the cause of the accident.

President Vladimir Putin has ordered a government commission to be formed to investigate the crash.

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