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| Russian Plane Crashes Near Moscow; 71 Are Feared Dead | Russian Plane Crashes Near Moscow; 71 Are Feared Dead |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| MOSCOW — A Russian plane carrying 71 people crashed shortly after takeoff in the Moscow region on Sunday afternoon, most likely killing all onboard, according to local news reports. | MOSCOW — A Russian plane carrying 71 people crashed shortly after takeoff in the Moscow region on Sunday afternoon, most likely killing all onboard, according to local news reports. |
| Flight 703, operated by Saratov Airlines, was carrying 65 passengers and six crew members from Domodedovo Airport to Orsk when it went down near the village of Argunovo, about 50 miles southeast of Moscow, the Sputnik news agency reported. | Flight 703, operated by Saratov Airlines, was carrying 65 passengers and six crew members from Domodedovo Airport to Orsk when it went down near the village of Argunovo, about 50 miles southeast of Moscow, the Sputnik news agency reported. |
| Fragments of the plane and many bodies were discovered near the village of Stepanovskoe, the official news agency Tass, reported, citing a spokesman for the Emergencies Ministry. | Fragments of the plane and many bodies were discovered near the village of Stepanovskoe, the official news agency Tass, reported, citing a spokesman for the Emergencies Ministry. |
| The Russian aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, confirmed that the plane, an AN-148 aircraft, departed at 2:21 p.m. from Domodedovo Airport for Orsk — about 1,000 miles southeast of Moscow — and disappeared from radar shortly after. | The Russian aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, confirmed that the plane, an AN-148 aircraft, departed at 2:21 p.m. from Domodedovo Airport for Orsk — about 1,000 miles southeast of Moscow — and disappeared from radar shortly after. |
| “Several minutes after takeoff, radio connection with the crew disappeared, the plane’s mark disappeared from radars,” the agency said in a statement. | “Several minutes after takeoff, radio connection with the crew disappeared, the plane’s mark disappeared from radars,” the agency said in a statement. |
| FlightRadar24, an online site that tracks real-time flight information, shows the plane lost altitude just six minutes after takeoff. It reached 6,400 feet before dropping to 5,800 feet, rising again briefly and falling sharply — all within one minute. | |
| The ministry said in a statement that “rescue workers, ambulances and firefighters” headed to the site of the crash, an open field about 25 miles from the airport. It was unclear if there were any casualties on the ground. | The ministry said in a statement that “rescue workers, ambulances and firefighters” headed to the site of the crash, an open field about 25 miles from the airport. It was unclear if there were any casualties on the ground. |
| “The snow is deep, we need heavy-duty equipment,” Andrei Kulakov, head of the Ramenskoe District, where the plane went down, said in an interview broadcast by the news channel Rossiya 24. | “The snow is deep, we need heavy-duty equipment,” Andrei Kulakov, head of the Ramenskoe District, where the plane went down, said in an interview broadcast by the news channel Rossiya 24. |
| Video footage online shows a piece of the plane buried in snow. | |
| President Vladimir V. Putin expressed his condolences and ordered his cabinet to create a commission to investigate the crash, according to the state-run news agency RIA Novosti. | President Vladimir V. Putin expressed his condolences and ordered his cabinet to create a commission to investigate the crash, according to the state-run news agency RIA Novosti. |
| Footage from the Orsk airport showed Russians pacing and wailing as news of the crash spread. | |
| In December 2016, a Russian aircraft bound for Syria carrying a military band to entertain Russia’s forces there crashed into the Black Sea moments after takeoff, killing all 92 people aboard. | In December 2016, a Russian aircraft bound for Syria carrying a military band to entertain Russia’s forces there crashed into the Black Sea moments after takeoff, killing all 92 people aboard. |
| In October 2015, a Russian charter flight ferrying 224 passengers and crew members to St. Petersburg from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, crashed soon after taking off, killing everyone on board. | In October 2015, a Russian charter flight ferrying 224 passengers and crew members to St. Petersburg from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, crashed soon after taking off, killing everyone on board. |
| After months of cautious silence, Egypt acknowledged that terrorists had most likely brought down the plane. | After months of cautious silence, Egypt acknowledged that terrorists had most likely brought down the plane. |
| Saratov Airlines has a fleet of 12 airplanes — five AN-148 aircraft among them. They were built by Ukraine’s Antonov Enterprise. One crashed in 2011 during a training flight when the crew exceeded its maximum speed. |