An Aeroflot jet crashed at Moscow on Sunday, sending the aircraft into flames as passengers desperately tried to escape. 41 of the 78 passengers and crew onboard did not survive, including two children and a flight attendant.
The Sukhoi Superjet-100, traveling from Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO) to Murmansk (MMK), encountered a “technical” problem shortly after takeoff. Several survivors onboard reported the aircraft was struck with lightning.
After declaring an emergency, the aircraft returned to SVO, rapidly descending before aborting the first landing attempt because the aircraft was traveling too fast. More systems failed and on the second landing attempt the aircraft hit the tarmac “like a grasshopper” (to use the words one passenger onboard) and burst into flames. An eyewitness captured the following video:
Посадка пылающего Sukhoi Superjet 100 в Шереметьево. Пилоты – стальные люди pic.twitter.com/ETlzOHbUKw
— Дмитрий Смирнов (@dimsmirnov175) May 5, 2019
Per the BBC:
The jet hit the tarmac three times and smashed its rear undercarriage, then debris got into an engine and set it ablaze.
As the rear of the aircraft was engulfed in flames, passengers rushed forward to use the front emergency exit. It is not clear yet if the 4o passengers and one crew member died to the impact, heat, or inability to evacuate in time. Hopefully not the latter, as evacuation video shows people alighting the aircraft with carry-on items…
Спасатели сообщают, что все 78 пассажиров горящего самолёта в Шереметьево эвакуированы, пострадали всего пять человек.
Это какое-то невероятное чудо! pic.twitter.com/0CCyMRxcSH— Дмитрий Смирнов (@dimsmirnov175) May 5, 2019
The aircraft landed with nearly a full tank of fuel. After the plane lost contact with air traffic control, the flight crew felt it had to land immediately.
Aeroflot has published a list of the survivors (in Russian). The families of those killed will be offered one million rubles ($15,300). Surviving victims who are receiving hospital treatment will receive 500,000 rubles ($7,650).
CONCLUSION
As more details unfold about this traffic incident, I will provide updates and analysis as appropriate. For now, I can only express my condolences to those who did not survive or were horribly injured. What a tragic accident.
In english too…wasn’t hard to find:
https://www.aeroflot.ru/us-en/news/61326
Where are he fire trucks? They are lined all along the runway even for “minor” emergency landings. Here they didnt appear even after minutes…
Their website suggests a different amount for compensation. This is the translation through google translate –
“One million rubles will be paid to passengers of flight SU1492 who did not need hospitalization. Two million rubles each will be paid to passengers hospitalized on May 5, 2019 as a result of the event.
You can apply for a payment at the Aeroflot representative office in Murmansk or at the company’s own sales offices in Moscow.
Five million rubles will be paid to relatives for each dead passenger of flight SU1492. For compensation, relatives of the victims can contact AlfaStrakhovaniye by phone 8 (800) 333-0-999.”