Russia plane crash: Terrorism ruled out as cause of airline disaster

It was the second time in less than six months that a passenger jet flying Russian holidaymakers home has crashed with the loss of all on board

The wreckage of the crashed Flydubai aircraft, at the airport of Rostov-On-Don, Russia (AFP)

All 62 people aboard a passenger jet flying from Dubai to southern Russia have been killed after the aircraft crashed on its second attempt to land at Rostov-on-Don airport.

It was the second time in less than six months that a passenger jet flying Russian holidaymakers home has crashed with the loss of all on board. Flydubai flight FZ981 had left Dubai at 10.20pm local time on on 18 March.

The airline said there were 55 passengers and seven crew on board. In a statement the airline said that there were 44 Russians among the 55 passengers, eight Ukrainians, two Indians and one from Uzbekistan. Four children were among the dead.

The Boeing 737-800 was scheduled to arrive at Rostov-on-Don at 1.20am on the morning of 19 March. Because of high winds and poor visibility in the vicinity of the airport the pilots abandoned a first attempt to land.

Radar tracking shows the aircraft then flew a series of holding manoeuvres for almost two hours before making a second approach. However, the plane came down short of the runway, broke up and caught fire at about 3.40am. Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said one wing had clipped the ground.


 A mourner at Rostov-on-Don airport, the scene of the crash 
 (AFP/Getty)

Investigators recovered the flight recorder and said that the lines of inquiry include the possibility of crew error, a technical failure and bad weather conditions. They are likely to focus on the pilots’ decision to fly a holding pattern rather than divert to an alternative airport.

The last loss of a Russia-bound flight was on 31 October, when a Metrojet Airbus A321 from Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt crashed in the Sinai desert on a flight to St Petersburg. It is widely believed the plane was downed by a bomb placed on board at the Egyptian airport. There is no indication of terrorism in the Flydubai crash.

Flydubai’s chief executive said: “We don’t yet know all the details of the accident but we are working closely with the authorities to establish the cause.

“We are making every effort to care for those affected and will provide assistance to the loved ones of those on board.” The airline is setting up reception centres for relatives of passengers.