Thirteen and possibly additional passengers died in a fiery Sukhoi Superjet 100 airplane crash. The plane was engulfed in flames and the crash injured an additional six passengers, according to the developing story. The aircraft holds 100 passengers, and the fire occurred during the plane’s emergency landing.
Domestic flight number SU1492 left the Moscow-Sheremetyevo (SVO) airport and headed for Murmansk, Russia (MMK). It was carrying 78 passengers and five crew members, according to a Russian news agency TACC source.
The following tweeted video captured the incident:
Посадка пылающего Sukhoi Superjet 100 в Шереметьево. Пилоты – стальные люди pic.twitter.com/ETlzOHbUKw
— Дмитрий Смирнов (@dimsmirnov175) May 5, 2019
The Russian-built plane, flight SU1492, departed Moscow-Sheremetyevo (SVO) bound for Murmansk, Russia (MMK) with 78 passengers and five crew members on board. The aircraft was almost two years old.
It was only 27 minutes after the aircraft lifted off of the runway, that the pilot reported an emergency. The plane turned around and headed back to the Moscow airport for its emergency landing at 9:30 a.m. EDT (6:30 Moscow time).
The narrow-bodied plane skidded down the runway with both wings totally engulfed in flames. Once the aircraft came to a halt, the passengers began evacuating via the slide. Only the two forward doors were operable given the fire.
The Investigation Committee in Moscow said the plane was carrying 73 passengers and five crew members. The TACC new agency source said:
‘The fate of some of the passengers is unknown.’
The Ministry of Health for the Russian Federation reported seven people were being treated in the Vishnevsky Research Institute (medical center), and two of the patients were in grave condition. An additional three people were treated in the outpatient care unit and refused hospital care:
‘Two victims of the fire at the Sheremetyevo airport in serious condition were sent to the Vishnevsky Research Institute of the Russian Ministry of Health. Another two passengers in a state of moderate severity will be consulted by the Ministry of Health.’
