Plane Crashes

[angelburst29]

Investigators may have found one defect - similar to the Lion Air crash last October - that may have caused the plane to crash?

Ethiopian crash investigators find piece of wreckage with similar setting to Lion Air plane: sources
Investigators have found a piece of a stabilizer in the wreckage of an Ethiopian jet with the trim set in an unusual position similar to that of a Lion Air plane that crashed last year, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Ethiopian Airlines flight reported trouble soon after takeoff: NYT
The Boeing 737 Max 8 that crashed in Ethiopia on Sunday killing 157 people requested permission to return to Addis Ababa airport three minutes after takeoff as it accelerated to abnormal speed, the New York Times reported.

Excavators may be damaging Ethiopia crash site: diplomats

Trucks and excavators are going onto the site of the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash, causing concern that vital evidence may be lost or crushed, two diplomatic sources said on Friday.

Indonesia to speed up release of Lion Air crash report: safety agency head

Indonesia will hasten the release of its report on the October crash of Lion Air Boeing 737, the head of the nation's transport safety committee said on Friday.

Russia's Aeroflot will cancel Boeing 737 Max order if safety issue not solved: CEO
Russia's national flag carrier Aeroflot will cancel its order of 20 Boeing 737 Max planes unless Boeing is able to guarantee the plane's safety after Sunday's deadly crash in Ethiopia by November, Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Savelyev said on Friday.

Saudi's Flyadeal to decide on Boeing 737 MAX order after crash investigations
Saudi Arabian airline flyadeal will wait until investigations into two Boeing 737 MAX crashes are completed before deciding whether to proceed with a signed order for 30 of the jets, its chief executive said on Friday.

(Note: On the subject of planes and flying ... )

American Airlines pilots told by union not to fly to Venezuela

American Airlines Group Inc pilots should not fly to Venezuela, an influential pilots union said on Friday, following a travel advisory issued by the U.S. State Department this week.

The department cited civil unrest, poor health and arbitrary arrest and detention of U.S. citizens in Venezuela for issuing the advisory on (Tuesday) March 12.

 

[angelburst29]

Investigators probing the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX jet eight days ago have found strong similarities in the 'angle of attack' data recorded by the doomed aircraft's cockpit recorder and data from a Lion Air jet of the same model that crashed in October, a person familiar with the matter said.

Exclusive: Data shows angle of attack similar in Boeing 737 crashes

FILE PHOTO - Ethiopian Federal policemen stand near engine parts at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 11, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

Graphs of the two sets of data are “very, very simliar,” the person said on Monday, asking not to be identified because the matter is still in the early stages of investigation.

The angle is a key flight parameter that must remain narrow enough to preserve lift and avoid an aerodynamic stall.

A flight deck computer’s response to readings from an apparently faulty angle-of-attack sensor is at the centre of an ongoing probe into the Lion Air disaster.

The similarity between the two data readings on the Ethiopian and Lion Air flights will be subjected to further investigation, the person said. Ethiopian and other investigators were not immediately available for comment.

Boeing faces growing scrutiny in Ethiopian crash probe
The world's biggest planemaker faced escalating pressure on Monday after Ethiopia pointed to parallels between its crash and one in Indonesia, sharpening focus on the safety of software installed in Boeing's 737 MAX planes.

Ethiopia says crashed jet's black boxes show similarities to Lion Air disaster
The crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane that killed 157 people had "clear similarities" with October's Lion Air crash, Ethiopia said on Sunday, shown by initial analysis of the black boxes recovered from the wreckage of the March 10 disaster.

Swiss Re says helped insure Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines

Reinsurance group Swiss Re helped cover jetmaker Boeing Co and Ethiopian Airlines, the Swiss company said on Monday amid an investigation into what caused an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people.

 

[lilies]

There is a probability of Dennis Muilenburg stepping down and a new Boeing CEO announced to be used for scapegoat, if another 737 MAX crashes and all hell breaks loose.

 

[angelburst29]

Ethiopia's insistence that its pilots followed procedures when their Boeing Co 737 MAX nosedived before a deadly crash, and Boeing's recent declaration that a new software fix makes a "safe plane safer," have set the stage for a lengthy fight over the roles of technology and crew in recent 737 MAX crashes.

Explainer: Ethiopia crash raises questions over handling of faults on Boeing 737 MAX

American civil aviation and Boeing investigators search through the debris at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 12, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner/File Photo

After a deadly Lion Air crash in October, Boeing and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration told airlines what to do in the event that an erroneous sensor reading fooled the jet into thinking it was in a stall and pushed the nose down.

The Ethiopian Airlines pilots initially followed the advice to shut off the MCAS anti-stall system but later reversed the command counter to guidance at a time when they were traveling beyond maximum operating speeds, according to data contained in a preliminary report released on Thursday and experts on the jet.

How flawed software, high speed, other factors doomed an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX

Minutes after take-off, the pilots of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX were caught in a bad situation.

Fitch says 737 Max grounding to hurt Asian airline industry more in second quarter

Fitch Ratings said on Friday the impact on the airline industry in Asia from the grounding of Boeing 737 Max jets has been muted so far but may worsen in the second quarter of 2019.

Ethiopian crash report highlights sensors, software, leaves questions

Faulty sensor readings and multiple automatic commands to push down the nose of a Boeing plane contributed to last month's fatal crash in Ethiopia, leaving the crew struggling to regain control, according to a preliminary accident report.

Indonesia to send investigators to Ethiopia to aid crash probes

Indonesia will send two investigators to Ethiopia to assist in a probe and exchange data on two fatal crashes of Boeing 737 MAX jets since October, the head of the country's air safety agency stated.

Bereaved families blame Boeing after Ethiopia crash report

Mourning families of Ethiopian Airlines passengers who died in last month's crash are asking awkward and angry questions of U.S. plane maker Boeing after closely following a preliminary report into the disaster.

Japan's air force loses contact with F-35 stealth fighter

Japan's military said on Tuesday it lost contact with one of its Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters over the Pacific Ocean close to northern Japan.

Crashed Japanese F-35 wreckage found in Pacific, pilot still missing
Search and rescue teams found wreckage from a crashed Japanese F-35 stealth fighter in the Pacific Ocean close to northern Japan, and are scouring the waters for the missing pilot, authorities said on Wednesday.

Daunting salvage task awaits Japanese F-35 investigators baffled by crash

Two days after one of Japan's F-35 stealth fighters plunged into the Pacific and no closer to finding out why it happened, investigators face a daunting task to recover what remains of the highly classified jet from the ocean depths.

 

[angelburst29]

I hate to think this way but is it possible that there might be "a rival competition and turf war" going on between "Airbus and Boeing" and some devious ill-fated monkey business?

* ‎October‎ ‎24‎, ‎2018‎ - Boeing Lands on Airbus Turf, With First European Factory in U.K.
* October 29, 2018 - Indonesia Lion Air flight with 189 on board crashes into sea
* January 10, 2019 - Boeing beats European rival Airbus in global aircraft order race for the first time since 2012
* March 10, 2019 - Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi crashes with 157 people onboard
* March 31, 2019 - Co-owner of Russia's S7 airline dies in plane crash near Frankfurt
* April 10, 2019 - ZERO New Orders for Boeing’s Troubled 737 MAX After Global Groundings


‎October‎ ‎24‎, ‎2018‎ - Boeing Lands on Airbus Turf, With First European Factory in U.K.
Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

Boeing Co. has touched down on the turf of its European rival, Airbus SE.

The U.S. planemaker on Thursday opens its first European factory, a 40 million-pound ($52 million) facility in Sheffield, England, that will make system-control components used for 737 and 737 Max narrowbody and 767 widebody jets.

While it’s a small beachhead -- the plant will employ only 52 people -- it gives Chicago-based Boeing a platform to expand in the U.K. just as the country leaves the European Union. The divorce could be messy, but for Boeing, there may be opportunities as it goes after more business in the U.K. Its arrival also lends support when other businesses -- including Toulouse, France-based Airbus -- have been sharply critical of the Brexit project.

“We are always looking for opportunity wherever we are around the world," Jenette Ramos, senior vice president for manufacturing, supply chain and operations, said on a conference call with reporters. “We have been very supportive of the U.K. prosperity agenda. We have invested not only in our commercial, defense and services presence in country, and this adds a manufacturing presence to the whole portfolio.”

The factory, set in motion last year, will produce about 10,000 titanium components each month, such as spur gears, shafts and housings. They’ll be sent to a plant in Portland, Oregon, to eventually be installed on wings. Boeing set up a research operation in 2001 with the University of Sheffield, and has been growing since. It now employs 2,200 people across the country.

Boeing is trying to increase its share of Britain’s defense spending, while battling Airbus globally for dominance of commercial planemaking. The company has been selected for exclusive talks to supply the U.K. Ministry of Defence with a new generation of surveillance aircraft, a contract also sought by Airbus.

Airbus, which makes wings in Wales, warned the government in June that it could leave the U.K. if the country exits the EU single market and customs union without a transition deal. The European company later softened its tone, lending support to Prime Minister Theresa May’s Chequers plan.

Production of the 737 remains a focus for Boeing, after engine-related delivery delays earlier this year. “Where we do have issues, we send out teams to be on-site to help," Ramos said.

10 Jan, 2019 - Boeing beats European rival Airbus in global aircraft order race for the first time since 2012
Boeing handily beats Airbus in 2018 global jetliner order race

* Airbus registers 747 orders compared to Boeing's 893
* Airbus was outsold three to one by Boeing for a second year in the high-margin widebody segment

Mon. Oct. 29, 2018 - Indonesia Lion Air flight with 189 on board crashes into sea
Indonesia Lion Air flight with 189 on board crashes into sea

Sunday March 10, 2019 - Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi crashes with 157 people onboard
Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi crashes with 157 people onboard

ZERO New Orders for Boeing’s Troubled 737 MAX After Global Groundings Apr 10 2019
Boeing did not win any commercial orders for its 737 MAX jet in March following a second deadly crash involving the plane, as it is the first time in seven years the company failed to sell a single aircraft of this model.

March 31, 2019 - Co-owner of Russia's S7 airline dies in plane crash near Frankfurt
Natalia Fileva, chairwoman and co-owner of Russia’s second largest airline S7, died when a private jet she was in crashed near Frankfurt on Sunday, the company said. Fileva, 55, was the major shareholder in S7, a member of global Oneworld airlines alliance, and one of the richest women in Russia, whose wealth was estimated by Forbes at $600 million.

 

[angelburst29]

Business American City Business Journals
Airline collapse causes Boeing to remove 210 aircraft orders from backlog April 25, 2019
Boeing has removed 210 commercial airplane orders from its books after India's Jet Airways suspended its operations. The orders for 200 737 Max single-aisle jets and 10 787 Dreamliner wide body jets were struck by Boeing before Jet Airways suspended its operations on April 17. The loss of orders is a blow to Boeing and its two Puget Sound region airplane factories.

April 28, 2019 - Pilots demand better training if Boeing wants rebuilt trust in 737 MAX
Pilots demand better training if Boeing wants to rebuild trust in 737 MAX

FILE PHOTO: The cockpit of Jet Airways Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft is pictured during its induction ceremony at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport in Mumbai, India, June 28, 2018. REUTERS/Abhirup Roy/File Photo

American Airlines pilots have warned that Boeing Co's draft training proposals for the troubled 737 MAX do not go far enough to address their concerns, according to written comments submitted to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

The comments were made by the Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents pilots at American Airlines Group Inc, the world's largest airline and one of the biggest 737 MAX operators in the United States.

Their support is important because Boeing has said pilots' confidence in the 737 MAX will play a critical role in convincing the public that the aircraft is safe to fly again.

Boeing's fast-selling 737 MAX was grounded worldwide in March following a fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 on board just five months after a similar crash on a Lion Air flight that killed all 189 passengers and crew.

Now it is readying for regulatory approval a final software update and training package to address an anti-stall system known as MCAS that played a role in both nose-down crashes.

A draft report by an FAA-appointed board of pilots, engineers and other experts concluded that pilots only need additional computer-based training to understand MCAS, rather than simulator time. The public has until April 30 to make comments.

Protesters are expected outside Boeing's annual meeting in Chicago on Monday, where shareholders will also question the company over its safety record.

APA is arguing that mere computer explanation "will not provide a level of confidence for pilots to feel not only comfortable flying the aircraft but also relaying that confidence to the traveling public."

It said the MAX computer training, which originally involved a one-hour iPad course, should include videos of simulator sessions showing how MCAS works along with demonstrations of other cockpit emergencies such as runaway stabilizer, a loss of control that occurred on both doomed flights.

APA also called for recurring training on simulators that includes scenarios like those experienced by the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines pilots, in addition to computer training.

"When pilots visually experience the failure modes and then apply them, the lesson is cemented in their minds," APA wrote.

American Airlines has said it is looking at the potential for additional training opportunities in coordination with the FAA and its pilots union.

Canada, Europe and South Korea are all weighing the need for simulator training, going above the recommendations in the draft FAA report, sources have said.

Required simulator training could delay the MAX's return to service because it takes time to schedule hundreds or thousands of pilots on simulators. Hourly rates for simulators range between $500 and $1000, excluding travel expenses.

American Airlines Chief Executive Doug Parker said on Friday that even if other countries delay the ungrounding of the MAX, once the FAA approves it, American will start flying its 24 aircraft.

Union pilots for Southwest Airlines Co, the world's largest operator of the MAX with 34 jets and dozens more on order, have said they were satisfied with the FAA draft report but would decide on additional training once they see Boeing's final proposals.

 

[mabar]

Department of Defense Boeing 737 plane skids off Florida runway into the water; 2 minor injuries

A Department of Defense plane from Guantanamo Bay skidded off a runway into shallow water in Jacksonville, Florida, late Friday, but officials said there were no serious injuries.

There were two "very minor" injuries, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

"At approximately 9:40 p.m. today, a Boeing 737 arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba into Naval Air Station Jacksonville crashed into the St. Johns River at the end of the runway," Naval Air Station Jacksonville said in a statement. "Navy security and emergency response personnel are on the scene and monitoring the situation."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1124508751157964800

https://twitter.com/x/status/1124506148256743424

 

[angelburst29]

Department of Defense Boeing 737 plane skids off Florida runway into the water; 2 minor injuries

"At approximately 9:40 p.m. today, a Boeing 737 arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba into Naval Air Station Jacksonville crashed into the St. John's River at the end of the runway," Naval Air Station Jacksonville said in a statement. "Navy security and emergency response personnel are on the scene and monitoring the situation."

Thanks for Posting the report, Mabar! ( ('') Smiley)

That flight was out of Gitmo and was landing in Jacksonville, Florida - but ended up in St. John's Bay?

I wonder, if there is a possibility that - Rear Admiral John Ring - who was just fired as Gitmo Commander and was reassigned to the
command's Miami headquarters ... was on that plane?

I guess - it was just an "ax-slide-dent"? Nothing to see here, folks?

Guantanamo Bay Admiral Fired Due to Loss of Confidence

A spokesman for SOUTHCOM told Military.com that Ring has been temporarily assigned duties at the command's Miami headquarters pending forthcoming permanent reassignment. He would not comment on the reasons for Ring's relief or any additional actions that might be taken.

Boeing 737 slides off runway into Florida river, 21 hurt
Boeing 737 slides off runway into Florida river, 21 hurt

A chartered Boeing 737 jetliner with 143 people on board slid off a runway and into the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, on Friday while attempting to land at a military base in a thunderstorm, injuring 21 people.

There were no reports of fatalities or critical injuries. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said on Twitter that all 21 people who had been taken to a hospital for treatment were listed in good condition.

The plane, a 737-800 arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba with 136 passengers and seven crew members, crashed into the river at the end of the runway at Naval Air Station Jacksonville about 9:40 p.m. local time, a spokesman for the Florida air base said.

“The plane was not submerged. Every person is alive and accounted for,” the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said on Twitter.

The sheriff’s tweet was accompanied by two photographs showing the plane, which bears the logo of Miami Air International,
resting in shallow water and fully intact.

The mayor of Jacksonville, Lenny Curry, said on Twitter that U.S. President Donald Trump had called him to offer help. “No fatalities reported. We are all in this together. Absorb that,” Curry said in a separate tweet.

A passenger on board the plane, attorney Cheryl Bormann, told CNN in an interview that the flight, which had been four hours late in departing, made a “really hard landing” in Jacksonville amid thunder and lightning.

“We came down, the plane literally hit the ground and bounced, it was clear the pilot did not have total control of the plane, it bounced again,” she said, adding that the experience was “terrifying.

Bormann said she hit her head on a plastic tray on the seat in front of her as the plane veered sideways and off the runway. “We were in the water, we couldn’t tell where we were, whether it was a river or an ocean.”

Bormann described emerging from the plane onto the wing as oxygen masks deployed and smelling the jet fuel that she said was leaking into the water.

Bormann, from Chicago, said that most of the passengers were connected to the military and helped each other out of their seats and onto a wing, where they were assisted after some time into a raft.

Miami Air International is a charter airline operating a fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Representatives for the airline could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters on Friday evening.

A Boeing spokesman said that the company was aware of the incident and was gathering information.

Slideshow (2 Images)
Boeing 737 slides off runway into Florida river, 21 hurt

 

[Ca.]

Army helicopter falls in the sector El Hatillo Volcano, reports Civil protection

https://twitter.com/x/status/1124686420805861377

Translated from Spanish by Microsoft
The meteorologícas conditions in the area today were adverse as there was low ceiling and limited visibility for VFR flights. Apparently the ship is the ACE 332B1 ViP Super Puma.

Civil Protection of El Hatillo confirmed that a helicopter belonging to the Venezuelan Army rushed into the El Volcán de El Hatillo sector.

The mayor of El Hatillo, Elias Sayegh reported via Twitter that the helicopter fell in a green area of Oripoto and had seven people on board.

Neighbors reported hearing explosions near the heliport in Oripoto.

It was reported that mixed commissions are coordinating the search on the site.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1124688808094707725

 

[Ca.]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1125069924861390849

Update:

At least 1 killed, 4 injured as Superjet-100 crash-lands, catches fire at major Moscow airport

Panicked passengers rushed to evacuate a burning Aeroflot plane at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport after the Sukhoi Superjet-100 made a fiery crash-landing at a second attempt. At least one person was killed and four injured.

www.rt.com

 

[Ca.]

СМИ сообщили о десяти погибших в Шереметьево, СК — об одном

В результате аварийной посадки пассажирского самолета в Шереметьево погибли десять человек, сообщает агентство «Москва». Baza пишет о 12 погибших, ТАСС — об одном.

tvrain.ru

As a result of the emergency landing of a passenger plane in Sheremetyevo, ten people were killed, reports the agency "Moscow". Baza writes about the 12 dead, Tass - about one.

The tail part of the liner is completely destroyed, rescuers are trying to get to the back rows through the twisted metal, where victims may be injured, an Interfax source said.

The Aeroflot Superjet-100 aircraft, performing the Moscow-Murmansk flight, soon after taking off from Sheremetyevo, requested an emergency landing due to a fire. Among the possible causes was called lightning; according to some sources, the aircraft engine caught fire. According to Interfax, the airliner sent a distress signal without radio contact with the ground and caught fire after hitting his nose into the runway. On board were 78 people - 73 passengers and five crew members.

Open fire extinguished.

A criminal case of violation of safety rules on transport, which resulted in the death of two or more persons.

 

[anka]

The Aeroflot Superjet-100 aircraft, performing the Moscow-Murmansk flight, soon after taking off from Sheremetyevo, requested an emergency landing due to a fire. Among the possible causes was called lightning.

I could not find confirmation for this bit anywhere else but one of mainstream news outlets in Czech is referring to TASS media agency that it was indeed lightning and the hit was allegedly confirmed by one of the crew members. Wondering whether this will be acknowledged or played down. Deaths from lightnings on the ground seem to be on the rise, dead birds falling down from the sky... atmosphere is perhaps becoming unsuitable for flying. Guess we might see more of these incidents coming soon

 

[angelburst29]

Another photo of the Russian plane fire ... death toll now 41.

Russian investigators say plane crash death toll rises to 41

Russian authorities said late on Sunday that 41 people died when a Sukhoi Superjet 100 crash-landed at Moscow Sheremetyevo airport.
“There were 78 people on board, including crew members,” the Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement on its website.

“According to updated information, 37 out of them survived.”

Earlier on Sunday, the investigators said 13 people had been killed in the plane crash.

I could not find confirmation for this bit anywhere else but one of mainstream news outlets in Czech is referring to TASS media agency that it was indeed lightning and the hit was allegedly confirmed by one of the crew members. Wondering whether this will be acknowledged or played down. Deaths from lightnings on the ground seem to be on the rise, dead birds falling down from the sky... atmosphere is perhaps becoming unsuitable for flying. Guess we might see more of these incidents coming soon

TASS (below) only has a short description of the incident. I'll keep checking to see if they report "lightning".

41 people died in plane fire at Sheremetyevo

© @artempetrovich via AP

Forty-one people died in the Sukhoi Superjet 100 plane crash at Sheremetyevo Airport, Yelena Markovskaya, spokesperson for the Moscow interregional transport investigation department of the Russian Investigative Committee, told reporters.

"Forty-one people died," she said.

In total 78 people were onboard, 37 of them survived, including four crew members.

 

[Ca.]

Extensive report by South Front and SOTT.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1125154690034032640

Snip: Video / Tweets
Order of events based on official data and reports in the Russian media:
The Superjet-100 took-off from Moscow on 18:02 (local time). The SU1492 is the flight between Moscow and Murmansk. The supposed flight time is about 2h 30m.

The aircraft requested an emergency landing shortly after the take-off and returned to the airport on about 18:30 (local time);

According to some reports, the initial reason of the emergency landing was that the crew had expiriences communication problems. Another version is that the reason of the need to return to the airport was a lightning strike, which hit the aircraft

The Superjet-100 did not land during the first try and had to make a second attempt to land.

According to some reports, the engines fire happened after the first failed landing. Aeroflot confirmed that the engires catched the fire after the landing, but did not provide much details. Reportedly, even if the fire appeared in the air, it did not spread notably.

Existing photos and videos allow to suggest that the plane catched fire after as a result of the crash-landing. The plane reportedly jumped-up 3 times, its chassis broke. The fire expanded as a result of the contact of the plane with the strip and a supposed fuel spillage [the SU1492 was in the air only about 28 minutes and reportedly saved more than 60% of its fuel].

The fire engulfed the entire tail end of the jet. According to reprots, this became one of the main reasons of the casualties.

Continued:

 

[angelburst29]

I could not find confirmation for this bit anywhere else but one of mainstream news outlets in Czech is referring to TASS media agency that it was indeed lightning and the hit was allegedly confirmed by one of the crew members. Wondering whether this will be acknowledged or played down. Deaths from lightnings on the ground seem to be on the rise, dead birds falling down from the sky... atmosphere is perhaps becoming unsuitable for flying. Guess we might see more of these incidents coming soon

This article also mentions bad weather and a lightning strike hitting the plane.

"We took off and then lightning struck the plane," the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily cited one surviving passenger, Mr Pyotr Egorov, as saying.

Forty-one reported killed after Russian passenger plane crash-lands in Moscow

Published on May 5, 2019 (1:17 min.)

Forty-one people on board a Russian Aeroflot passenger plane were killed on Sunday (May 5), including two children, after the aircraft caught fire as it made a bumpy emergency landing at a Moscow airport, Russian investigators said.

Television footage showed the Sukhoi Superjet 100 bouncing along the tarmac at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport before the rear part of the plane suddenly burst into flames.

Many passengers on board SU 1492 then escaped via the plane's emergency slides that inflated after the hard landing.

[...] The Investigative Committee said it had opened an investigation and was looking into whether the pilots had breached air safety rules.

Dramatic footage shared on social media showed the plane engulfed in flames as it landed on the tarmac, and passengers leaping onto an inflatable slide and running away from the burning aircraft.

Some passengers blamed bad weather and lightning.

"We took off and then lightning struck the plane," the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily cited one surviving passenger, Mr Pyotr Egorov, as saying.

"The plane turned back and there was a hard landing. We were so scared, we almost lost consciousness. The plane jumped down the landing strip like a grasshopper and then caught fire on the ground."

State TV broadcast mobile phone footage shot by another passenger in which people could be heard screaming.

President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev expressed their condolences and ordered investigators to establish what had happened.

DEBRIS IN THE ENGINES
The Flightradar24 tracking service showed that the plane had circled twice over Moscow before making an emergency landing after just under 30 minutes in the air.

The plane's under-carriage gave way on impact and its engines caught fire.

Interfax cited a source as saying the plane had only succeeded making an emergency landing on the second attempt and that some of the aircraft's systems had then failed.

The emergency landing was so hard that debris had found its way into the engines, sparking a fire that swiftly engulfed the rear of the fuselage, the same source said.

Russian investigators said they were looking into various versions.