Boeing 737-800 crashes in Russia killing all 61 on board

Russia’s emergencies ministry said the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 operated by Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai, crashed at 03:50 (0030 GMT) at the airport in Rostov-on-Don [Xinhua]

A passenger Boeing-737 plane carrying 61 people on board flying from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Rostov-on-Don in Russia’s southwestern Rostov region, crashed at the city airport, Russian media reported on Saturday.

Zhanna Terekohova, an advisor to the Russian transport minister, told state television possible causes of the crash included pilot error and poor weather conditions.

The plane crashed after an unsuccessful second landing attempt.

“According to preliminary data, the Boeing 738 crashed in poor visibility conditions, some 50-100 meters left of the runway. The plane, according to preliminary data, crashed during the second approach,” air traffic control sources told Russian agency Interfax.

The Investigative Committee of Russia has initiated a case under “the violation of transport safety rules and the operation of air transport”, said official spokesperson Vladimir Markin.

All 61 people on board the aircraft were killed in the crash, most of them were Russians.

“We are doing all we can to gather information as quickly as possible. At this moment our thoughts and prayers are with our passengers and our crew who were on board the aircraft,” said a FlyDubai statement.

The carrier is owned by the government of Dubai.

 

Source: Agencies