Russian passenger jet crash – 71 feared dead

[boomy]

As reported on BBC:

The An-148 aircraft operated by Saratov Airlines went missing from radar shortly after take-off from the Moscow airport, according to the source.

The plane is understood to have been carrying 65 passengers and six crew.

A source told Russia’s Interfax news agency: "The airplane reportedly crashed outside Argunovo village in the Moscow region.

“The crew and passengers had no chance.”

The aircraft was heading for Orsk, a city close to the Russia-Kazakhstan border.

The Russian Emergencies Ministry said it is verifying reports that the An-148 has crashed outside Moscow.

 

[Jenya]

RIP
news.com.au already spit out article with cleaver statement "Plane crashes are common in Russia, where airlines often operate ageing aircraft in testing flying conditions."
- Qantas average age of its fleet to 7.7 years (121 aircrafts).
- Aeroflot average age 4.1 years. (228 aircrafts) - youngest fleet in Europe.

 

[drron]

Saratov airlines fleet 9.8 years.
Fleet age Saratov Airlines | Airfleets aviation

 

[Jenya]

which is still young...
This particular plane 7yo. Its small regional airline with just 10 aircrafts.
Here is video of the crash
Mash

 

[Berlin]

That's awful. Whenever I land at this airport, especially in snow, I am thinking to myself, wow, that looks like really far out. After reading about this accident and what a barren area it went down in, this impression seems to be quite correct!
To early really to speculate but the age of the airplane in question doesn't exactly seem out of the ordinary (though of course this says nothing about maintenance). And there's snow in the area more often than not- does anyone know whether it was a particularly bad day, weather wise? Like a snowstorm maybe?

 

[UP4014]

While fleet age can most definitely be a factor, competency of employees can be as well as all the usual suspects around human factors.

 

[drron]

Snowing but not a snowstorm.
Weather History for Moscow Sheremetyevo, RU | Weather Underground

 

[Berlin]

Snowing but not a snowstorm.
Weather History for Moscow Sheremetyevo, RU | Weather Underground

You'd think a bit of snow doesn't cause Russian pilots for all any issues. I'd think there was more to it- "human factors" potentially as mentioned earlier.

 

[Berlin]

Well, CNN claims that the "the Moscow region has had some of its heaviest snowfall in decades"
Russian plane crash kills all 71 people on board - CNN

 

[coriander]

Quote From CNN
>The scatter of fragments of the aircraft and bodies of dead passengers occupies a large territory;
>the radius is not less than 1 kilometer (0.6 miles),

Suggests it broke up in mid-air.

 

[jb747]

The Russians are probably more experienced than anyone at handling snow. Their pilots are generally quite decent. Older, Soviet era aircraft, were dangerous even when new (age really has little to do with it), but this is a modern aircraft. There isn't any real information around. TBA.

 

[amaroo]

Very sad...

 

[Berlin]

The Russians are probably more experienced than anyone at handling snow.

That's what I would have thought, if they know one thing for sure, then it will be snow!

 

[Mattg]

Early reports suggest the pitot tubes may have malfunctioned/frozen.

Russia plane crash likely caused by frozen speed gauge | News | DW | 13.02.2018

 

[coriander]

Early reports suggest the pitot tubes may have malfunctioned/frozen.

Russia plane crash likely caused by frozen speed gauge | News | DW | 13.02.2018

Article mentions a collision?????
"The collision occurred shortly after takeoff on Sunday, killing all 71 aboard."

 

[Mattg]

Article mentions a collision?????
"The collision occurred shortly after takeoff on Sunday, killing all 71 aboard."

Collision with the ground, perhaps?

I suspect that may have just been a translation error. The original article in German describes it as a "crash".

 

[Berlin]

Those damn pitots again... But the article also says that the pilot deliberately decided not to de-ice the plane which might have been the root of the issue.

 

[jb747]

Those damn pitots again... But the article also says that the pilot deliberately decided not to de-ice the plane which might have been the root of the issue.

It safely got to 6,000', so I don't htink that de-icing was an issue. Pitot/static icing possibly, but that's a switch that you turn on. But, an aircraft is quite flyable without valid airspeed data...even though some have proven that it's unflyable to them.