EMBED >More News Videos A plane belonging to Russian national carrier Aeroflot has landed in flames at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and unconfirmed reports say at least five people have been injured. MOSCOW -- The plane that burst into flames while making an emergency landing at a Moscow airport, killing 41 of the 78 people on board, was without radio communications because of a lightning strike, Russian news media on Monday quoted the pilot as saying.The plane reportedly did not jettison any fuel before the landing, as is common procedure to reduce the weight of an aircraft that must land shortly after takeoff. It was not clear why the crew did not take the time to do that.A flight attendant said there was a sharp flash soon after takeoff Sunday evening from Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport as the plane headed to Murmansk.Some of the 37 survivors were seen on video carrying hand luggage as they plunged down an inflatable slide from the plane's forward section, raising questions about whether grabbing their baggage might have impeded an evacuation in which every second could separate life from death.The plane, a Sukhoi SSJ100 operated by the Russian flagship carrier Aeroflot, had taken off from Sheremetyevo but turned back within minutes, asking for an emergency landing. The plane came down hard on the runway and flames and black smoke burst from its underside.Pilot Denis Evdokimov was quoted as saying by Zvezda TV and the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper that "because of lightning, we had a loss of radio communication. "Flight attendant Tatiana Kasatnika said in a video posted on YouTube that "We took off, got into a cloud, there was strong hail, and at that moment there was a pop and some kind of flash, like electricity. "Russia's main investigative body said both of the plane's flight recorders - data and voice - have been recovered from the charred wreckage. Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko was also quoted by Russian news agencies on Monday as saying that investigators were looking into three main possibilities behind the cause of the disaster: inexperienced pilots, equipment failure and bad weather.Storms were passing through the Moscow area when the plane made its emergency landing.One survivor praised the plane's attendants for helping save him and others. "It was dark and there was gas, very high temperature. They helped people out of there, helped them to descend," Dmity Khlebnikov said, according to Komsomolskaya Pravda.Another passenger, Mikhail Savchenko, wrote on Facebook that some passengers grabbed luggage as they fled the plane. "I do not know what to say about people who ran out with bags. God is their judge," he wrote.The SSJ100, also known as the Superjet, was heralded when it went into service in 2011 as a new phase for Russia's civil aviation industry. It was introduced as a replacement for outdated Soviet-designed aircraft.But the plane has been troubled by concerns about defects in the horizontal stabilizers. Russia's aviation authority in 2017 ordered inspection of all Superjets in the country because of the problems. A Mexican airline, Interjet, grounded Superjets in December 2016 and later said it was phasing them out of the fleet.Transportation Minister Yevegny Dietrich said Monday that it was too early to decide whether to ground the planes in Russia, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the decision was not within President Vladimir Putin's power.One of the dead was flight attendant Maxim Moiseev, Dietrich said. Russian news reports, citing unnamed sources, said the Moiseev was in the back part of the plane, which was engulfed in flames and tried unsuccessfully to deploy an evacuation slide.<doc-sep>Moscow: Terrifying footage shows INSIDE the burning plane top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. The Aeroflot plane made an emergency landing after a fire erupted on board soon after takeoff from Moscow to the Arctic city of Murmansk. Flames were seen flaring from the rear of the Russian-built aircraft with a reported 78 on board. The video captured the moment the jet slammed down onto the runway and flames burst through the twin engines. Petrified passengers erupted into screams as the fire spread to the fuselage, casting an eerie orange glow across the cabin. The aircraft quickly came to a stop as the panic intensified and the fevered unclicking of seatbelts permeated the smoky air. There was initial confusion over casualties with one report that 10 died including a female flight attendant, but this was not confirmed. Russian Investigative Committee later there were 13 fatalities - a figure earlier revealed by Reuters, citing a medical source. Moscow plane crash: The video was taken from inside the deadly blaze on the Aeroflot jet But by 10pm UK time last night the Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement on its website: "There were 78 people on board, including crew members. "According to updated information, 37 out of them survived." The stricken plane was clearly visible from the main terminals at the airport in the north of Moscow. A British Airways plane was also on the tarmac at the time. Florida: Boeing 737 plane crashes into a river in Jacksonville The airport is closed for arrivals and departures. A passenger called mikkentosh posted on Twitter: “Guys I am all right, I am alive and in one piece. “I managed to jump out. “This was the 17.50 Moscow to Murmansk flight, see the rest in the news… "Definitely not everyone managed to escape, huge condolences to families and friends.” The plane is less than two years old. Its first flight was reported to be in June 2017.<doc-sep>A Russian Aeroflot flight caught fire as it conducted an emergency landing in Moscow on Sunday evening, killing dozens of people. But what exactly do we know about aircraft, the passengers and how the events unfolded? Timeline of events The Aeroflot flight SU1492 departed from Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport on 18:03 local time, and was en route for Murmansk. But just over 20 minutes into its 2.5-hour flight time, a radio failure was declared, which developed into an emergency, and prompted the captain to request to return. airlive.net As the aircraft came in to land, video footage showed the plane bouncing on the runway, before its tailend burst into flames. The burning plane eventually came to a halt, and passengers were witnessed fleeing from the wreckage via emergency slides. What do we know about the passengers? There were 78 people in total aboard the flight, 41 of which have died. Russia's health ministry confirmed in a post to Vkontakte on Monday morning that nine people had been taken to hospital for treatment, and three were in a "serious condition". An "incomplete" list of the names of the survivors was posted to the Aeroflot website, which sent condolences to the families of the deceased. "The crew did everything in its power to save passenger lives and provide emergency assistance to those involved," it said in a statement. "Tragically, they were unable to save all those aboard." A government employee in the city of Murmansk and a US citizen are reported to be among the dead. According to a law enforcement official quoted by TASS news agency, the majority of those killed in the incident were believed to have died from poisoning or suffocation from "the products of combustion". One woman transported to hospital with serious injuries was being treated for smoke inhalation and burns covering 15% of her body, a doctor told Russian media. Bodies of the dead have been transported to a morgue, and the process of formal identification is due to begin immediately. What caused the incident? The plane initially declared a radio failure just minutes after taking off from Moscow, but reasons beyond this are not clear. Aeroflot said a "technical error" forced the plane to land, where the engine caught fire. Much speculation about the technical failure and subsequent fire has been made in hours after the incident, but nothing can be confirmed until an investigation has been completed. Russia's Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal investigation into the case, listing its avenues to address. “The investigation considers various versions of the incident, among which are insufficient qualifications of pilots, dispatchers and persons who conducted technical inspection of the board; aircraft malfunction; adverse weather conditions.” The black box data recorders have been retrieved from the aircraft, along with other pieces of evidence for further investigation. Several people on social media noted a lack of fire engines seen rushing to the scene in eyewitness videos filmed in the immediate aftermath of the incident. But according to aviation expert Jason Rabinowitz this is nothing untoward. "The aircraft didn't ignite until it was in the process of landing so I'm not surprised [the aircraft rescue and firefighting team] was not present," he told Euronews via email. "They'd only be present if the flight crew requested it or if air traffic control as reason to put them in place." What do we know about the plane? The aircraft involved in Sunday's incident, a Sukhoi Superjet-100, is relatively new, having made its first flight in 2017. The jets were first revealed at the Paris Airshow in 2009 as a hopeful comeback bid for Russian aviation in the international market. Three years later, in 2012, the Superjet-100 received its European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Type Certificate. But despite its brief history, there have been several reported incidents involving the aircraft. In 2012, dozens of people were killed after a Superjet-100 crashed into a mountain in Indonesia during a demonstration flight, which was later blamed on pilot error and air traffic control systems. An engine failure in 2013 led to the failed takeoff of one of the planes, just weeks after Aeroflot were forced to ground ten of its Superjet fleet due to technical issues. By 2016, the entire fleet was grounded by Russia's aviation authority over worries of "metal fatigue", something expected in older aircraft, but not of those less than a decade old.<doc-sep>The flight was Aeroflot SU1492 – plane registration number RA-89098. The flight was a daily service from Moscow to Murmansk. It was initially thought that the plane was already on fire when it landed. However, Russian news agency Interfax is reporting that the fire began after an extremely bumpy landing. The same report indicates that fuel tanks were full as crew made the decision that it was too dangerous to dump fuel over Moscow. According to the Aviation Herald, the majority of occupants were able to evacuate using both front door emergency slides. The flight crew made their evacuation using escape ropes through the cockpit windows. Emergency services rushed to the scene immediately. Many reports say that the initial cause of the emergency landing was lightning striking the plane. Speaking to Komsomolskaya Pravda daily newspaper, Petr Egorov said: “[the flight] had just taken off and the aircraft was hit by lightning…the landing was rough – I almost passed out from fear.” Andrey Chibis, Acting Governor of Murmansk, has reportedly said that families of victims will each receive one million rubles ($15,300). Victims being treated in hospital will receive 500,000 rubles ($7,650). Photos and video on social media Dramatic photos and video going up on twitter show black smoke rising from the flaming aircraft as ambulances arrive at the scene. The moment the flaming Aeroflot Superjet makes an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo. Reports that a lightning strike may have lit the engine on fire https://t.co/ySVAWQkycp pic.twitter.com/sLKBhW0JLf — Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) May 5, 2019 Первые секунды после посадки горящего борта в Шереметьево. Люди, спасшиеся из самолёта, бегут по полосе pic.twitter.com/j3lcDnvtEF — baza (@bazabazon) May 5, 2019 Pilots declared an emergency shortly after taking off from Sheremetyevo but after 27 minutes in the air, made a return. Below is the flight path as recorded by FlightRadar24. After extinguishing the fire it was clear that the tail as well as most of the rear fuselage was completely on fire. This particular aircraft was relatively new, reportedly made in 2017 or 2018. A criminal investigation on this incident has begun and the black box has been given to the investigating agency. About the aircraft An Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet at Moscow Sheremetyevo Photo: Wikimedia Commons The Sukhoi Superjet is a Russian-built aircraft that the manufacturer claims “offers standards of economy, performance, environmental efficiency and passenger comfort never before seen in a 100-seat airliner.” The aircraft’s entry into service was in mid-2011 while European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Type Certificate came in 2012. To date, 148 aircraft of this type have been delivered, according to Wikipedia. The manufacturer is officially goes by the name “Superjet International” and is a joint venture of Italy’s Leonardo Company and Russia’s Sukhoi Holding Company. Other accidents and incidents In the last ten years there have been a handful of accidents involving Aeroflot aircraft. In 2009, a Boeing 737 suffered severe damage by a hailstorm and was subsequently written-off. In 2014 an Ilyushin Il-96 had damage beyond repair while parked at Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport. Most recently, on 3rd January 2017, an Airbus A321 overran the runway on landing at Khrabrovo Airport, causing the nose gear to collapse resulting in minor damage. In fact, today’s incident is the first Aeroflot flight suffering fatalities since a 2008 crash killed 88 passengers and 6 crew members. Several weeks ago an aircraft from another Russian airline UTair caught fire. However, in a very unexpected response, the airline claimed that fire coming from the engine of their 737 was a regular situation and that the plane was still “fully operational”. We originally posted this story at around 1800 GMT on May 5th and it was last updated on May 6th at 0628 GMT.<doc-sep>
The Aeroflot captain who landed a fiery Superjet 100 in Moscow says a lightning strike and full fuel tanks may have prompted the inferno that killed 41 of the 78 people aboard. A U.S. State Department official confirmed that one American died in the tragedy at Sheremetyevo Airport, Russia's busiest. Most of those who died suffered smoke inhalation and many had severe burns, Russian news agency Tass reported Monday. Horrifying video from the scene shows the plane landing amid roaring flames with a trail of thick, black smoke. Moments later, passengers can be seen exiting from emergency slides, some staggering away from the plane with their carry-on bags. Pilot Denis Evdokimov told Russian media there was a “a bright flash and a bang” moments before the crew began an emergency descent. He added that communications with air traffic controllers was hindered by the apparent lightning strike. Evdokimov said the crew had no option but to perform a manual landing and managed to establish radio contact for "a couple of words” to air traffic control personnel who guided them back to the runway, the RT news agency reported. The jet struck the runway several times, likely damaging the fuel tanks and causing a fire to ignite in the rear of the fuselage, the pilot said. “The speed wasn’t high, it was normal according to the flight manual," Evdokimov said. But the jet was heavy with fuel, adding to the challenge of the landing, he added. Aeroflot Flight SU1492 was scheduled to fly from Moscow to the northwestern Russian city of Murmansk but returned to the Moscow airport less than 30 minutes after takeoff. Passenger Mikhail Savchenko, in a Facebook post, cited "huge grief for everyone who lost their family and loved ones." He said he survived with a few bruises. "No, I didn't drag my suitcases," he said. "No, the moment I was filming, there were no people around me that I could help. But believe me, it's not much easier." The fire was quickly extinguished, and passengers were able to exit the aircraft via the emergency exits, Aeroflot said in a statement. The airline said it was providing emergency assistance to survivors and was flying family members to Moscow free of charge. "Aeroflot extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of those who lost their lives," the statement said. "The crew did everything in its power to save passenger lives and provide emergency assistance to those involved. Tragically, they were unable to save all of those aboard." The Russian Investigative Committee launched a criminal inquiry to determine whether any aircraft operation safety rules were violated. Such an investigation is standard in crashes that claim the lives of two or more people. Sukhoi said it was represented on the panel. The company said the plane was produced in August 2017 and received scheduled maintenance about a month ago. Aeroflot said the pilot had 1,400 hours of experience flying the plane. This is the second fatal accident involving a SSJ100. In 2012, a demonstration flight in Indonesia struck a mountain, killing all 45 aboard.