MOSCOW, Russia - Passengers and crew on board a jet that was forced to make an emergency landing at a Moscow airport say it was struck by lightning moments before it crashed. Reports of the strike came as survivors told how they escaped the Aeroflot jet which burst into flames on landing at Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday. Forty-one of the 78 people on board were killed in the accident. Investigators probing the cause of the crash have made no official comment on the claims it was hit by lightning, reports the BBC.
Continue reading original article
The Intelligent Aerospace take:
May 6, 2019-The flight "had just taken off and the aircraft was hit by lightning," said crash survivor Pyotr Yegorov to the BBC, adding: "The landing was rough - I almost passed out from fear."
The passenger plane that crashed is a Russian regional jet made by Sukhoi and is called the Superjet 100 and has been produced since 2007 and was certified in 2011 and seats 87-98 passengers in its standard configuration and competes with models like the Embraer E190 and Bombardier CRJ1000.
Shortly after flight SU1492 took off, the crew sent a distress signal and attempted two emergency landings, the first of which was aborted because the plane was traveling too fast. On the second landing attempt, the jet hit the tarmac and the engines caught fire. Of the 78 people aboard, 41 perished. Though passengers reported lightning striking the plane, the cause of the emergency landing is not yet confirmed.
Related: FAA defends its reliance on aircraft makers to certify jets
Related: The mystery of MH370 remains 5 years later — here are all the theories, dead ends, and unanswered questions from the most bizarre airline disaster of the century
Related: The Boeing 737 MAX: Is the problem with the plane or the pilots?
Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace
Ready to make a purchase? Search the Intelligent Aerospace Buyer's Guide for companies, new products, press releases, and videos
