Scheduled 14 CFR
Accident occurred Saturday, March 19, 2016 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia
Aircraft: BOEING 737, registration:
Injuries: 62 Fatal.
The foreign authority was the source of this information.
The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) has notified the NTSB of an accident involving a BOEING 737 that occurred on March 19, 2016. The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the MAK investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as the State of Manufacturer and Design of the airplane.
All investigative information will be released by the MAK.
The Wall Street Journal
By Nicolas Parasie and Robert Wall
Updated March 20, 2016 8:25 a.m. ET
DUBAI—Air-accident investigators have begun trying to extract information from the black boxes of the FlyDubai jetliner that crashed in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on Saturday, killing all 62 people aboard, according to officials involved in the probe.
Russian investigators said the black boxes were recovered but suffered damage in the crash of FlyDubai’s Flight 981, a Boeing Co. 737-800, during a repeated landing attempt at the city’s airport in windy conditions Saturday.
The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee, which is leading the probe, said it was working with specialists from the United Arab Emirates and France to extract the memory units that store the data that typically provides the strongest evidence of what occurred in a crash.
Representatives from the United Arab Emirates late Saturday arrived in Russia to assist in the probe.
The recorders are designed to withstand heavy damage and generally retain data even in extreme cases. Accident investigators typically can extract information from the black boxes even if they are damaged, a process that can take as little as a few days. A cursory review of the data often can also provide strong clues about what went wrong and help ascertain whether any technical malfunction came into play.
The cockpit voice recorder would provide clues about the decision-making process onboard. The flight-data recorder stores details of thousands of plane parameters such as pilot control inputs, which are used to reconstruct what happens and determine if there was any technical fault with the plane.
Even if investigators can quickly assess what likely happened, a detailed analysis of the data from the two storage devices can take weeks or months.
Flight 981 left Dubai at 10:20 p.m. local time Friday. The crew aborted a first landing attempt and circled for about two hours before crashing in a second attempt to land in Rostov at about 3:50 a.m. local time Saturday. The plane was carrying 55 passengers and seven crew members.
The pilot and copilot had several years of experience, having logged 5,900 and 5,700 flight hours, respectively.
Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director general of the United Arab Emirates’ General Civil Aviation Authority, said, “The investigation may take time due to the amount of required information on the aircraft, crew, and the operator, Rostov airport, air-traffic control of Rostov airport, weather condition, and information obtained through interviews.”
Investigators also are poised to study conversations the crew might have had with air traffic control and the airline’s flight operations center during the two-hour period between the first landing attempt and the fatal second try. Investigators also may interview the crew of another plane that also attempted to land at Rostov and diverted to another airfield after several failed attempts.
FlyDubai Chief Executive Ghaith Al Ghaith on Sunday said the plane was carrying enough fuel to divert to another airfield. The Rostov airport was open and weather conditions were sufficient for flights to operate, he said, adding the pilot had previously flown to Rostov.
ENLARGE
The cause of the accident is unclear. Local authorities said bad weather conditions had forced the pilot to attempt a second landing. Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal probe and was considering “error by the plane’s crew, technical malfunction on board, bad weather conditions and other factors” among the possible reasons for the crash.
Accident investigators have pledged to issue a preliminary report within a month in adherence with rules set out by the International Civil Aviation Organization, the air-safety arm of the United Nations. That document often provides only limited information, though. A final report on the crash probe should come within a year of the accident.
The investigation is being supported by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, where the Boeing plane was built. The plane maker said it is providing technical support to the probe. French air-accident investigators also are involved because the 737 plane was powered by engines made by CFM International, a joint venture between France’s Safran SA and General Electric Co.
State-owned budget carrier FlyDubai will resume service to Rostov once the airport reopens, the airline’s CEO said.
The airline said bookings haven’t been affected. Airlines typically suffer a slump in demand in the immediate weeks after a crash, although bookings generally rebound.
MOSCOW — The Latest on the crash of the FlyDubai Boeing 737-800 in Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia (all times local):
8:45 p.m.
A long-time friend of the Cypriot pilot of the crashed FlyDubai jet says the 38-year-old aviator was going to quit the airline after recently accepting a job with Ryanair in Cyprus.
The friend told The Associated Press on Saturday that Aristos Socratous, whose wife will give birth to the couple's first child in a few weeks, wanted to raise his family in Cyprus despite a drop in his wages.
The friend, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he didn't want to be named discussing his friend's personal matters, said Socratous was an experienced pilot who had no complaints about FlyDubai and was happy about being promoted to full captain a year and a half ago.
Socratous had previously worked for Helios Airways, the Cypriot airline that shut down after a plane crash in 2005.
— Menelaos Hadjicostis in Brussels.
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2:15 p.m.
Emirati authorities including the president, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, have sent their condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Emirati state news agency WAM reported.
Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who also serves as the Emirates' vice president and prime minister, expressed his regrets on his official Twitter feed in Arabic, English and Russian.
"I offer my condolences to the families of the passengers who lost their lives on board flight FZ981. This terrible tragedy grieves us all," Sheikh Mohammed wrote. "We mourn those lost, may their souls rest in peace. Our thoughts are with their loved ones at this time of sorrow and grief."
1:55 p.m.
FlyDubai Chief Executive Ghaith al-Ghaith says the crew included five men and two women. The pilots were from Cyprus and Spain, while the cabin crew included two Russians and citizens of Seychelles, Colombia and Kyrgyzstan.
The pilot and co-pilot had 5,965 and 5,769 hours of flying time respectively, making them "quite experienced," al-Ghaith said. They were not identified by name.
The plane itself was produced in 2011 and underwent a detailed maintenance inspection known as a C check in Jordan on January 21 of this year, the CEO said.
He said he is personally leading the airline's accident response. The carrier has deployed a team to the site of the crash, and Emirati civil aviation investigators are also on their way.
9:45 a.m.
The Dubai Media Office says those killed in the crash of the FlyDubai airliner in Russia include 44 Russians, eight Ukrainians, two Indians and one person from Uzbekistan.
The media office offered condolences on behalf of the entire United Arab Emirates for those who lost loved ones.
On Twitter, the office says the entire UAE, a federation of seven emirates, offered "its deepest condolences to the families of the victims & to the Russian government & people."
Seven crew members were also among those killed in the crash at Rostov-on-Don.
The Dubai Media Office works under Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who also serves as the UAE's prime minister.
8:50 a.m.
FlyDubai is saying there are no survivors from its plane crash in Russia.
The budget carrier made the announcement in a statement released Saturday morning.
It said: "While we are still awaiting final confirmation, it is with great sadness that we report we believe there are no survivors."
It says of the 55 passengers on board, 33 were women, 18 men and four children. There were seven crew members at the time of the crash in Rostov-on-Don.
The airline's CEO Ghaith al-Ghaith said in a statement: "Our primary concern is for the families of the passengers and crew who were on board. Everyone at FlyDubai is in deep shock and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those involved."
8:20 a.m.
Boeing Co. has offered condolences for those who died aboard a FlyDubai Boeing 737-800 airliner in Russia.
The Chicago-based airline manufacturer issued the statement Saturday, hours after the crash in Rostov-on-Don killed all 55 passengers and six crew members.
FlyDubai's fleet is dominated by relatively young Boeing 737-800 aircraft, the same model as the one that crashed.
Boeing says it stands ready to provide technical assistance upon the request of government agencies conducting the investigation. It adds it won't be able to answer any questions regarding the flight "in accordance with the international protocol governing aviation accident investigations."
7:25 a.m.
FlyDubai, the budget carrier whose plane has crashed in Russia, is offering phone numbers for those affected by the disaster to call.
The Dubai-based airline says those worried about their loved ones could call + 44 203 4508 853 or +971 4 293 4100.
It earlier acknowledged its flight to Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia crashed early Saturday morning.
The carrier has offered no preliminary cause for the crash. Russian officials say all 55 passengers and six crew aboard were killed.
Winds were anywhere from 14 to 22 meters per second (30-50 miles per hour) at the time of the crash and that there was light rain.
7:20 a.m.
FlyDubai has acknowledged its flight to Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia has crashed with fatalities.
In a statement, the budget carrier says it regrets to confirm that flight FZ981 crashed on landing and that fatalities have been confirmed.
It adds: "We are doing all we can to gather information as quickly as possible. At this moment our thoughts and prayers are with our passengers and our crew who were on board the aircraft. We will do everything we can to help those who have been affected by this accident."
The carrier offered no preliminary cause for the crash. Russian officials say the plane had 55 passengers and six crewmembers and that there were no survivors.
Winds were anywhere from 14 to 22 meters per second (30-50 miles per hour) at the time of the crash and that there was light rain.
Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
7 a.m.
A flight-tracking service says a FlyDubai plane that crashed in Russia made one failed landing before the disaster.
Ian Petchenik, a spokesman for the website Flightradar24, told The Associated Press on Saturday that the Boeing 737-800 initially tried to land at Rostov on Don at 2231 GMT.
Petchenik says: "Based on our data, what it looks like is the aircraft made an initial landing attempt."
He said the plane then entered a holding pattern at 2327 GMT near the airport, then left the holding pattern to try and land again at 0028 GMT. The flight offered its last data at 0041 GMT and lost contact.
Russian officials say the plane had 55 passengers and six crewmembers. Winds were anywhere from 14 to 22 meters per second (30-50 miles per hour) at the time of the crash and that there was light rain.
Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
6:55 a.m.
Weather has been described as rough at the time a Boeing 737-800 with 61 passengers and crew crashed in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, killing all on board.
Rostov-on-Don was blanketed in rain showers and weather forecasters said winds there reached up to 50 kilometers (31 miles) per hour on Saturday morning.
FlightRadar24, a flight-tracking website, showed the FlyDubai flight made a series of loops near Rostov on Don while apparently waiting for permission to land.
6:40 a.m.
Russia's Emergencies Ministry official says all 55 passengers and six crew members aboard a Boeing 737-800 that crashed on landing at the airport in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don have been killed.
Igor Odev, the head of the ministry's southern regional operations, provided the figure at a televised briefing on Saturday morning.
The plane belonged to the budget carrier FlyDubai and was coming from Dubai when it crashed.
Original article can be found here: http://www.therepublic.com
The Wall Street Journal
By LAURA MILLS and JON OSTROWER
Updated March 19, 2016 11:43 a.m. ET
A FlyDubai airliner crashed in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don early Saturday, killing all 62 people aboard, according to the Russian Emergency Ministry.
The Boeing Co. 737-800 crashed during a repeated landing attempt at the city’s airport, according to the ministry.
The cause of the crash wasn’t immediately clear. Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 said the plane had been climbing after a second landing attempt when it suddenly began to fall at rapid speed. Previously, local authorities had said that the plane’s wing had touched the runway upon a second landing attempt, causing it to break apart.
Closed-circuit television footage appeared to show an object hitting the ground at a fast speed, followed by an explosion.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal probe and was considering “error by the plane’s crew, technical malfunction on board, bad weather conditions and other factors” among the possible reasons for the crash. One of the plane’s flight recorders has been recovered from the scene, the committee said.
FlyDubai said flight FZ981 departed from Dubai International Airport at 10:20 p.m. local time Friday (2:20 p.m. ET) and was bound for Rostov-on-Don. The crash occurred at the destination about 3:50 a.m. local time Saturday, it added.
Of those on board, 55 were passengers and seven were crew members, the ministry said. The airline said the nationalities of the passengers included 44 Russians, eight Ukrainians, two Indians and one Uzbek.
According to FlightRadar, between the FlyDubai plane’s first and second landing attempts, another aircraft tried to land at the airport and diverted elsewhere.
FlyDubai said it was working with authorities to find out what caused the crash. “We do not know all of the details of the incident but we are working closely with all the authorities to establish precisely what happened,” Ghaith Al Ghaith, FlyDubai’s chief executive, said at a news conference in Dubai. A team is leaving for Russia soon to help with the investigations, he added.
Mr. Ghaith said the crew flying the plane was experienced. The pilot had logged around 5,900 flight hours in his career, with the copilot having flown 5,700 hours.
The plane, which was built in 2011, underwent regularly scheduled major maintenance in January.
Boeing said it would serve as a technical adviser to the Russian-led crash probe. The Chicago-based company said that under the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board it was launching a team to aid the investigation.
FlyDubai was set up in 2008 by the government of Dubai, which also owns Emirates, the largest airline in the world by international traffic. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum heads both airlines.
The airline has sought to replicate the successful low-cost model pioneered by Southwest Airlines Co. Many of the carrier’s operational leaders are former U.S. airline executives.
Saturday’s crash is the worst in the airline’s short history and of its few notable safety incidents. In January 2015, one of its 737s came under fire during landing in Baghdad.
The fast-growing, low-cost carrier operates an all-Boeing 737-800 fleet and received its 50th aircraft in October, just over six years after the carrier took its first jet from the plane maker.
The last previous fatal accident involving a 737-800 occurred in 2010 when an Air India Express plane crashed on landing killing all 158 people onboard, according to the Aviation Safety Network, an accident tracking site affiliated with the not-for-profit Flight Safety Foundation. Investigators blamed pilot fatigue for the botched landing.
The event comes after the safest year in the history of commercial jet aviation world-wide. According to industry data, 2015 was the first year without a single passenger fatality as a result of a jetliner accident. Those numbers don’t include planes that are believed to have been brought down by a bomb or other intentional acts.
—Nicolas Parasie, Andy Pasztor and Robert Wall contributed to this article.
Original article can be found here: http://www.wsj.com
Russian officials spoke to a relative of a victim of the FlyDubai plane that crashed in Russia on Saturday.
It's always sad to hear of an airplane crash. May the poor souls onboard rest in peace.
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