NYCAviation has learned that at approximately 10:30 AM EST, Tatarstan Air flight U9-363/2B-363 from Moscow Domodedovo to Kazan Russia crashed after attempting a go-around from its second aborted
(Video of crash at bottom of page)
Ambulances at the Kazan Airport terminal. (Photo: ernestik_musin via Instagram)
landing attempt, instead impacting the ground and killing all 44 passengers and six crew aboard. Russian news source Interfax reports that among the dead is Irik Minnikhanov, son of the Republic of Tatarstan president Rustan Minnikhanov, and Alexander Antonov, head of the local Federal Security Branch (equivalent to the FBI in the United States). It was originally believed no children were aboard the flight; however, when the Russian Emergency Ministry published the list of victims, it included an 11-year-old girl.
Local observers noted high winds and cloudy conditions at the airport at the time of the crash. The Aviation Herald observed that “the aircraft had already gone around several times, when a fuel tank caught fire upon landing.”
As of this writing, 50 bodies have been recovered from the crash scene and the airport is now closed, according to a spokesman for Federal Air Transport Agency Rosaviatsiya. Though officials cite crew error as one possible explanation for the crash, weather conditions and mechanical problems could also have played a role. Russian news agency Rianovosti further reports that President Vladimir Putin has ordered an investigation into the crash.
Image of the crash scene in Kazan. (Photo courtesy of Twitter)
Tatarstan Airlines is one of several Russian regional airlines; these regional carriers have a checkered past in terms of safety and reliability. The Aviation Herald also notes this same aircraft made an emergency landing almost one year ago on Nov. 27, 2012 in Moscow Domodedovo after declaring emergency due to the sudden loss of cabin pressure. That flight (U9-370) returned to Kazan for a safe landing.
Tatarstan Airlines was established in 1993 and is the official airline of the Tatarstan Republic. It operates a fleet of 10 jets, including one Boeing 737-500 involved in today’s crash. The jet was in its 23rd year of service.
UPDATE: Video has been obtained of the crash itself, which indicates the aircraft was in a severe nose-down dive at the moment of impact.
Below are photos of the emergency response to the crash, provided by the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry:
Eric McKirdy is NYCAviation’s west coast contributing editor. He can be found lurking on Twitter.
