Over 60 confirmed dead after Flydubai plane crashes in Russian city of Rostov-on-Don
There was no immediate information on the cause, although some news reports suggested weather could have been a factor.
Russian officials said on Saturday that all 61 people on board a passenger jet flying from Dubai to southern Russia were killed when their plane crashed on its second attempt to land at Rostov-on-Don airport.
Russia’s emergencies ministry said the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 operated by Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai, crashed at 3.50am at the airport in Rostov-on-Don. Officials said there were 55 passengers and six crew on board the plane.
“Unfortunately, they all died,” Viktor Yanutsenko, an emergencies ministry official helping coordinate the emergency response, was quoted as saying by Russia’s RIA news agency.
Zhanna Terekohova, an adviser to the Russian transport minister, told state television possible causes of the crash included pilot error and poor weather conditions.
Local officials said at the time of the crash, there was strong, gusting wind in the Rostov area.
The aircraft had to abandon an initial attempt to land at Rostov, its scheduled destination, and came down while making a repeat attempt, according to an emergencies ministry statement. The plane came down inside the airport’s perimeter, about 250 metres short of the start of the runway.
At this moment our thoughts and prayers are with our passengers and our crew who were on board the aircraft