A Boeing 737-500 crashed during landing in the Russian city of Kazan, Sunday, leaving all 50 passengers and crew dead, including two children.
The Tatarstan Airline plane exploded after crash-landing at 15:25 GMT. The jet’s nose reportedly hit the ground during touchdown. Flight U363 was coming from Moscow Domodedovo airport.
This, I think, first confirmed photo from #Kazan crash I've seen. v @DeccanChronicle: http://t.co/0l60vmJWHU pic.twitter.com/QBXSW1eyTj #Russia
— Carl Fridh Kleberg (@CFKlebergTT) November 17, 2013
The Tatarstan Airlines plane was trying to make a second landing attempt when it touched the surface of the runway near the control tower, and was “destroyed and caught fire,” said Sergei Izvolky, the spokesman for the Russian aviation agency.
Video: Shocking first footage emerges of aftermath of Russia plane crash which killed 50 people http://t.co/wThzXDsRoB
— Bel Tel World News (@BelTel_World) November 17, 2013
Among the dead were Irek Minnikhanov, the son of Tatarstan’s governor, and Alexander Antonov, who headed the Tatarstan branch of the Federal Security Service, the main successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB.
“Boeing’s thoughts are with those affected by the crash,” the company said in a statement on its website.
Boeing’s thoughts are with those affected by the crash of the Tartarstan aircompany flight. http://t.co/Jv458NP69U
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) November 17, 2013
A search is on for the flight data recorders. Rescuers have already recovered the bodies of all 50 people from the crash site, according to Tatarstan’s Disaster Medicine Center.