Russian crash investigators blame plane's brakes Crash investigators suspect faulty brakes may have been to blame for a Russian airliner skidding off the runway and careering onto a motorway near Moscow. The Tupolev-204 was empty apart from eight crew. Five of them were killed. Experts say that after landing, the pilot applied the brakes but the aircraft did not stop. Russia's aviation authority notified Tupolev about braking systems after the same make of plane carrying 70 people overshot a runway in Siberia on December the 19th. Incredibly, no one on the ground was hurt. However, amateur video of a wheel hitting a passing car gives an idea of how close things came to disaster. Another video appears to show a crew member still strapped to a seat after being thrown from the plane during the impact. The crew was experienced, having notched up many hours flying. The airline, "Red Wings," is owned by the Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev, who also owns the Evening Standard and Independent newspapers in the UK. More about: Inquiry, Plane crash, Russia