Reports: Pilot Error Being Probed In Russian Jet Crash That Killed 41
The charred remains of an Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet 100 are taken off the runway after it crash-landed at Sheremetyevo International Airport on May 5.
MOSCOW – Russian news reports say that investigators are looking at whether pilot error is to blame for the crash of a Sukhoi Superjet 100 at a Moscow airport that killed 41 people.
The Kommersant newspaper on May 7 quoted unnamed sources as saying the pilots of Flight SU1492 made several mistakes before and after the craft’s emergency landing at Sheremetyevo airport, including flying into a thunderstorm and then landing with a full tank rather than circling to use up fuel.
The business daily RBK, meanwhile, quoted unnamed sources as saying that, after the plane had landed, the pilots opened a cockpit window, which could have fanned flames inside the craft, and that they failed to switch off engines immediately upon coming to a stop.
Officials said 41 people were killed after the jet burst into flames on the runway during the May 5 landing. Of the 33 survivors, about a dozen required medical treatment, many for smoke inhalation. Two people were hospitalized in critical condition.
The Turbulent Journey Of Sukhoi's Superjet
1/15The aftermath of the May 5 tragedy at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after the plane's crew issued a distress call and turned back shortly after takeoff. Amateur video appeared to show the Superjet 100 bursting into flames after bouncing violently along the runway.
A crash that killed 41 people when an Aeroflot flight burst into flames during an emergency landing in Moscow is among four major incidents involving the Superjet 100.* Issues have plagued the Russian jet since its inception.
2/15A 2007 photo of a model Superjet 100 during aerodynamics testing. Development of the plane began in 2000 by Sukhoi, a storied airplane manufacturer within Russia's United Aircraft Corporation.
A crash that killed 41 people when an Aeroflot flight burst into flames during an emergency landing in Moscow is among four major incidents involving the Superjet 100.* Issues have plagued the Russian jet since its inception.
3/15The distinctive cockpit window frame of the Superjet being assembled. The Russian government would eventually fund some 25% of the reported $1.4 billion spent on development of the jet, intended primarily for use as a regional passenger plane.
A crash that killed 41 people when an Aeroflot flight burst into flames during an emergency landing in Moscow is among four major incidents involving the Superjet 100.* Issues have plagued the Russian jet since its inception.
4/15The maiden flight of a Superjet in May 2008. The rollout marked a significant departure for the United Aircraft Corporation, which makes mostly combat aircraft.
A crash that killed 41 people when an Aeroflot flight burst into flames during an emergency landing in Moscow is among four major incidents involving the Superjet 100.* Issues have plagued the Russian jet since its inception.
5/15A test pilot is feted by Sukhoi executives after the Superjet's first flight. But celebrations in the company proved short-lived.
A crash that killed 41 people when an Aeroflot flight burst into flames during an emergency landing in Moscow is among four major incidents involving the Superjet 100.* Issues have plagued the Russian jet since its inception.
6/15Superjets under construction in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in Russia's Far East. The plane was initially slated to be available to buyers by 2009, but problems with its engines delayed its entry to the market.
A crash that killed 41 people when an Aeroflot flight burst into flames during an emergency landing in Moscow is among four major incidents involving the Superjet 100.* Issues have plagued the Russian jet since its inception.
7/15A powerjet SaM146 engine, used on the Superjet 100 plane, being tested. The engines, made jointly by Russian and French companies, reportedly took longer than expected to be certified.
A crash that killed 41 people when an Aeroflot flight burst into flames during an emergency landing in Moscow is among four major incidents involving the Superjet 100.* Issues have plagued the Russian jet since its inception.
8/15An SaM146 engine being tested in 2009. The head of United Aircraft Corporation at the time told reporters, "It turned out [the engines] were not ready. I think the problems were indeed technical -- a new engine is being developed."
A crash that killed 41 people when an Aeroflot flight burst into flames during an emergency landing in Moscow is among four major incidents involving the Superjet 100.* Issues have plagued the Russian jet since its inception.
9/15In 2011, the Superjet first entered commercial service with Armenia's national carrier.
A crash that killed 41 people when an Aeroflot flight burst into flames during an emergency landing in Moscow is among four major incidents involving the Superjet 100.* Issues have plagued the Russian jet since its inception.
10/15A Superjet makes a low pass at a Moscow airshow. By 2015 the Superjet was considered largely an engineering success, but sales were slow.
A crash that killed 41 people when an Aeroflot flight burst into flames during an emergency landing in Moscow is among four major incidents involving the Superjet 100.* Issues have plagued the Russian jet since its inception.
11/15But in 2012 a demonstration flight ended in disaster in Indonesia when a Russian pilot, reportedly distracted by potential Asian buyers aboard the aircraft, ignored an automated warning system and slammed into a mountain, killing all 45 passengers and crew.
A crash that killed 41 people when an Aeroflot flight burst into flames during an emergency landing in Moscow is among four major incidents involving the Superjet 100.* Issues have plagued the Russian jet since its inception.
12/15
Aviation news website Flightglobal wrote in 2015 that the Superjet 100 had in many ways "achieved what its creators set out to do. It is a five-abreast, 100-seat aircraft with reasonable economics that stands apart from rivals in terms of cabin width and comfort." In 2018, Russia's Aeroflot airlines ordered 100 of the planes. But possible problems with the plane's engines have recently resurfaced.
A crash that killed 41 people when an Aeroflot flight burst into flames during an emergency landing in Moscow is among four major incidents involving the Superjet 100.* Issues have plagued the Russian jet since its inception.
13/15A pilot inside the Superjet's cockpit. Beginning in 2018, several Superjets have been grounded due to questions about the SaM146 engine.
A crash that killed 41 people when an Aeroflot flight burst into flames during an emergency landing in Moscow is among four major incidents involving the Superjet 100.* Issues have plagued the Russian jet since its inception.
14/15A Superjet engine undergoing maintenance. Russia's Yakutia Airlines and Mexican carrier Interjet have both reported issues with their Superjets' engines. As of March, 15 of the 22 Superjet 100s operated by Interjet were out of service.
A crash that killed 41 people when an Aeroflot flight burst into flames during an emergency landing in Moscow is among four major incidents involving the Superjet 100.* Issues have plagued the Russian jet since its inception.
15/15Investigators of the fiery May 5 crash (pictured) say they will examine several possibilities for what might have caused the accident, including “equipment malfunction, technical inspection, meteorological conditions, and crew qualification.”
A crash that killed 41 people when an Aeroflot flight burst into flames during an emergency landing in Moscow is among four major incidents involving the Superjet 100.* Issues have plagued the Russian jet since its inception.
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Investigators said they were still examining data from the two flight recorders and that it could take a week or more to determine a cause.
Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said investigators were looking into several possible causes: insufficiently skilled pilots, air-traffic controllers, or technicians who examined the aircraft; a faulty plane; and bad weather.
Transport Minister Yevgeny Ditrikh on May 6 said there was no reason ground the nation’s fleet of Sukhoi Superjet 100 planes pending the outcome of the investigation.
Ditrikh was quoted by state media as saying the families of those who died would receive compensation of 9 million rubles each ($135,000).
Operated by national airline Aeroflot, the flight took off from Sheremetyevo and was heading for the northern city of Murmansk, carrying 73 passengers and five crew members when it was forced to turn around.
Video showed the plane making a hard landing at Sheremetyevo about 45 minutes after taking off. The video shows the plane bouncing, then speeding along a runway, with flames and black smoke pouring from its fuselage.
Aeroflot said the plane's engines caught fire on the runway of the airport after making an emergency landing -- not in midair as initially reported.
The plane's manufacturer said the aircraft had received maintenance last month. The pilot had some 1,400 hours of experience flying the plane, according to Aeroflot.
In an audio recording posted by Russian media, a man identified as the pilot, Denis Yevdokimov, said the plane was struck by lightning, causing problems with systems on board and interrupting communications with the ground.
Passengers were also quoted as saying that the jet was struck by lightning during a thunderstorm. Storms were passing through the Moscow area at the time.
Aeroflot has long shed its troubled post-Soviet safety record, with its fleet relying mainly on Boeing and Airbus aircraft. However, the state-owned company also owns at least 50 Superjets that it operates on both domestic and international routes.
Manufactured by the state conglomerate United Aircraft Corporation, the Superjet is a midrange regional jet, conceived of as a way to help bolster the country’s civil aviation manufacturing industry in the face of competition from Boeing and Airbus, as well as Embraer and Bombardier.
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![An SaM146 engine being tested in 2009. The head of United Aircraft Corporation at the time told reporters, "It turned out [the engines] were not ready. I think the problems were indeed technical -- a new engine is being developed."](https://gdb.rferl.org/cad9caf5-eb8e-4154-b593-48d87debef94_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
