All 62 people aboard a passenger jet flying from Dubai to southern Russia were killed when their plane crashed on its second attempt to land at Rostov-on-Don airport on Saturday, Russian officials said.
Russia's emergencies ministry said the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 operated by Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai, crashed at 03:50 (0030 GMT). Most of those aboard were Russian.
"The aircraft hit the ground and broke into pieces," the Investigative Committee of Russia said in a statement on its website. "According to preliminary data, there were 55 passengers aboard and 7 crew members. They all died."
The plane's wing hit the ground on its second landing attempt and burst into flames, the Rostov region emergency ministry said in a statement.
The region's governor, Vasily Golubev, said bad weather - strong, gusting wind in the Rostov area - was the primary line of investigation for the crash, but Zhanna Terekohova, an adviser to the Russian transport minister, said pilot error could also be a factor.
The plane came down inside the airport's perimeter, about 250 metres (yards) short of the start of the runway.
Grainy pictures from a security camera pointing towards the airport, which were broadcast on Russian television, showed a large explosion at ground level, with flames and sparks leaping high into the air.
A representative of Rostov's emergency ministry said at a briefing that flight recorders have not yet been recovered.
19/03/16 Reuters/India Today
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Russia's emergencies ministry said the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 operated by Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai, crashed at 03:50 (0030 GMT). Most of those aboard were Russian.
"The aircraft hit the ground and broke into pieces," the Investigative Committee of Russia said in a statement on its website. "According to preliminary data, there were 55 passengers aboard and 7 crew members. They all died."
The plane's wing hit the ground on its second landing attempt and burst into flames, the Rostov region emergency ministry said in a statement.
The region's governor, Vasily Golubev, said bad weather - strong, gusting wind in the Rostov area - was the primary line of investigation for the crash, but Zhanna Terekohova, an adviser to the Russian transport minister, said pilot error could also be a factor.
The plane came down inside the airport's perimeter, about 250 metres (yards) short of the start of the runway.
Grainy pictures from a security camera pointing towards the airport, which were broadcast on Russian television, showed a large explosion at ground level, with flames and sparks leaping high into the air.
A representative of Rostov's emergency ministry said at a briefing that flight recorders have not yet been recovered.
19/03/16 Reuters/India Today
