92 died; Russia rules out explosion in plane crash

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The Head of the Armed Forces’ aviation safety service on Thursday ruled out an explosion as the likely cause of a military plane crash this week.

“Based on preliminary analysis of data from the cockpit voice recorder, we have come to the conclusion that there was no explosion on board,’’ General Sergei Bainetov said.

The Tu-154 airliner operated by the military was heading to Syria when it crashed shortly after take-off into the Black Sea off the coast of the Russian City of Sochi, killing all 92 people aboard.

“The flight lasted only about 70 seconds, with the plane reaching an altitude of about 250 metres and speed of about 360 to 370 kilometers per hour.

“Investigators are not considering terrorism among the most probable scenarios, but have not ruled it out.

“Terrorists attack does not have to be connected with an explosion.’’ Bainetov said.

Russian authorities believed that the most probable causes of the crash were crew error, an equipment malfunction, low-quality fuel or disruption from a bird.

Bainetov attested to the experience of the pilot, saying he had logged about 4,000 hours of flight time, including more than 1,500 for this type of plane.

According to information from a flight data recorder, investigators believe there may have been a problem with the mechanism controlling the wing flaps.

Most of the passengers on board the plane were members of an esteemed military band, the Alexandrov Ensemble, to perform for troops in Syria during the holiday season.

The crash was mourned as a national tragedy. (dpa/NAN)

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