Investigation: An-148 not destroyed in air; it exploded when hitting ground

The An-148 that crashed on Sunday near Moscow was not destroyed in the air; it exploded when hitting the ground, official spokesperson of the Russian Investigation Committee Svetlana Petrenko has announced.

“We have found that the plane was not damaged before hitting the ground; there was no fire onboard. The explosion occurred after the plane fell,” she said.

As it was announced today, Ukraine appointed a special representative and experts to participate in the investigation. According to the Interstate Aviation Committee statement published on its website, a notice was sent to Ukraine, as the country was the designer of the plane.

An An-148 plane of Saratov Airlines flying from Moscow Domodedovo Airport to Orsk (Orenburg Region) crashed several minutes after the take-off. Six crew members and 65 passengers including several children were onboard. Nobody survived.

According to Russia’s Emergency Minister Vladimir Puchkov, basic search operations on the crash scene can be completed within a week. Up to date, more than 400 fragments of the bodies are found. The search operation covers the territory of 12 hectares.

According to the Interstate Aviation Committee, the two flight data recorders from the plane have been found not long ago.