Suspicion of Russian passenger plane crash due to helicopter collision

Minh Phuong• DNUM_BCZACZCABI 17:10

While the cause behind the crash of a Russian passenger plane on February 11 that killed 71 people is still unknown, some unconfirmed sources say it may have collided with a helicopter.

News networkLentaAccording to a Russian news agency, citing a well-informed source, before crashing into a field on the outskirts of Moscow yesterday afternoon, February 11, the An-148 aircraft of Saratov Airlines may have collided with a helicopter of a postal company.

According to this source, search and rescue forces found debris of another plane that was not the An-148 near the crash site in the Ramensky district of Moscow.

Another source said that it was a helicopter and did not rule out the possibility that this helicopter collided with the An-148 plane carrying 71 people of Saratov Airlines.

However, the postal service has denied this information. Investigators have not yet made any comments on the above information.

Russia races against time to find crashed plane carrying 71 people

The Saratov Airlines Antonov An-148 plane carrying 71 people disappeared from radar screens just minutes after taking off from Domodedo airport in Moscow at 2:21 p.m. on February 11.

Airline flight tracking websiteFlightradar24According to the investigation, about 5 minutes after takeoff, the plane descended at an extremely dangerous speed of about 6.6 km/minute. The investigation source said that before the accident, the captain of the plane informed air traffic control about a technical problem and requested an emergency landing.

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said that all 71 people on board the plane had no chance of surviving the tragic accident. Images posted on local media showed the plane's wreckage scattered over an area with a radius of up to 1km.

Search and rescue teams have found two bodies and a black box from the plane. The ill-fated plane is believed to have at least three black boxes. "The first black box found is believed to be a device that records flight parameters," said a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations in Moscow.

The search and rescue operation for the An-148 and the victims is still underway. At least 600 people are involved in this operation, divided into 3 shifts, continuously and overnight. This work may take several days.

Meanwhile, some witnesses said they saw the plane burst into flames in the air before crashing into a field on the outskirts of Moscow at extremely high speed.