The Interstate Aviation Committee announced Monday that the Red Wings plane crash that occurred on Saturday at Vnukovo Airport was not caused by the airport's runway.
According to the committee, the runway was checked immediately after the crash, and the traction coefficient measurement satisfied all requirements for the given type of aircraft, RIA-Novosti reported.
"The chairman of the Interstate Aviation Committee's technical commission on the Tu-204 RA-64047 crash at Vnukovo has reported that a visual inspection of the runway was carried out an hour and 20 minutes before the incident," the committee said in a statement.
The preliminary cause of the crash is reported to be pilot error, though the committee is still looking into other possible causes, including adverse weather conditions and technical malfunctions.
Five people were killed in the accident, which occurred Saturday morning when the plane overshot the runway on arrival and caught fire. Three more people remain in hospital in stable but serious condition.
Red Wings is reportedly continuing to carry out charter flights at this time despite the incident, Interfax reported. Another Tu-204 operated by Red Wings and arriving from Pardubice, the Czech Republic — the same city that the tragic flight was arriving from ?€” landed at Vnukovo on Monday afternoon.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.