Russian-made Aeroflot plane made a hard emergency landing in Moscow on Sunday before bursting into flames, killing 41 of the 78 people on board.
Video footage showed the rocky crash landing as the jet bounced several times on the runway before its rear portion was engulfed by flames. Other video showed passengers escaping on the planeโs emergency inflated slides as firetrucks raced to the scene.
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The plane, a Sukhoi Superjet 100, had departed Moscow on Sunday evening, bound for Murmansk in northwest Russia. According to flight tracking service Flightradar24, Aeroflot Flight 1492 indicated a radio communications failure and then a general emergency before its disastrous landing at Moscowโs Sheremetyevo airport about a half-hour after takeoff.
Itโs not yet clear why the plane turned back to Moscow, though storms were in the area and passengers reportedly said the plane was struck by lightning. Aeroflot said the flight was forced to return for โtechnical reasons.โ The planeโs two flight data recorders have been recovered, the Russian state news service Tass reports.
Among the victims of the crash were two children, a U.S. citizen and a flight attendant named Maksim Moiseev who died while trying to help passengers escape the plane, according to Tass.
Investigators are looking into possible causes for the accident, including pilot error, inclement weather and equipment failure, according to Russian media cited by The Associated Press. The Kremlin has also opened a criminal investigation, Charles Maynes reports for NPR from Moscow.
Aeroflot published a list of the flightโs survivors, including five who were hospitalized. โThe crew did everything in its power to save passenger lives and provide emergency assistance to those involved,โ the Russian airline said in a statement Monday. โOur thoughts and hearts are with those who have suffered an unspeakable loss. We mourn with you.โ