UTAIR FLIGHT 471

'UTair Flight 471'^[1] was a scheduled domestic passenger flight of a Tupolev Tu-134 on March 17, 2007, that suffered heavy structural damage during a hard landing at Samara Kurumoch Airport near Samara, Russia. Of the 50 passengers and 7 crew members onboard, at least 6 people were killed and 20 injured when the aircraft broke apart.^[2] The plane was flying from the Siberian city of Surgut to Samara and then to Belgorod.

Contents

Background

Event

Emergency response

Investigation

UTair's reaction

See also

References

External links

Background

The aircraft was a Tupolev Tu-134 passenger aircraft, operated by UTair. On the day of the accident the aircraft was thought to be carrying 50 passengers and seven crew.^[3] It was flying as a domestic passenger carrier based in Surgut Airport, serving Surgut, Siberia and Belgorod, with a scheduled stop in Samara.^[4]

Event

The aircraft was landing at Samara Kurumoch Airport, when it touched down about 400 meters short of a runway in heavy fog, bouncing and flipping over.^{[5] [6]} Six people were killed and 26 injured. The accident occurred at about 10:45 a.m. local time (06:45 GMT).^[7] The aircraft did not catch fire after the accident,^[8] as is often the case with airliner accidents.

Emergency response

At least 23 people were hospitalized in facilities in Samara and nearby Tolyatti, six of whom are in serious condition.^[9] Six people were trapped in the wreckage for a total of three hours before being cut free by rescue crews.^[10] 23 more people were not injured but received psychological treatment at the airport.

Investigation

According to transport officials and prosecutors a full investigation has been launched by the relevant authorities.^[11] Investigators state that they have recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) on the day of the accident and are studying them to determine the cause of the accident. Prosecutors investigating the crash in Samara said bad weather and pilot error were the most likely causes. ^[5]
Initial analysis of the flight data recorder suggests the aircraft was not experiencing any obvious technical malfunction before the accident. Russia's interstate aviation committee MAK states a preliminary assessment shows both engines were operating up to the point of impact. The aircraft was in landing configuration, with the undercarriage lowered and the flaps positioned at 30 degrees, and did not suffer fire or other damage while airborne.^[13].

UTair's reaction

Within hours of the crash, UTair issued a statement saying that the aircraft had been in good technical condition and that foggy weather was likely to have caused the accident. The company also said the crew was well-skilled and had long experience.^[14] They also decided to pay out US$75,000 to the families of each deceased person.

See also

★ List of notable accidents and incidents on commercial aircraft

References

1. Сообщение ОАО «Авиакомпания «ЮТэйр» (12:32 МСК)
2. Seven die in Russian air crash
3. 5 Dead, Dozens Wounded as Russian Aircraft Collapses at Landing
4. Plane Crashes On Landing
5. Pilot blamed as 6 die in Russian plane crash
6. Russian Jet Crashes Short of Runway, Kills 6
7. Five dead in Russian jet crash - United Press International - ''The Washington Times'' - Obtained March 17, 2007.
8. Russia plane crash - Sky News - Obtained March 17, 2007.
9. Update: 6 people remain in crashed plane body in Samara - RIA Novosti - Obtained March 17, 2007.
10. Seven die in Russian air crash - Al Jazeera English - Obtained March 17, 2007.
11. Passenger jet crash landing in central Russia kills 7 people - 570news.com - Obtained March 17, 2007.
12. Pilot blamed as 6 die in Russian plane crash
13. Flight International 27 March 2007
14. Weather, technical, human factors considered Tu-134 crash versions - RIA Novosti - Obtained March 17, 2007.

External links

★ Aircraft ownership history

★ Pre-accident photos of the aircraft