World

Russian report sheds light on FlyDubai plane crash

Russian report sheds light on FlyDubai plane crash

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Russian Emergency Ministry employees investigate the wreckage of a crashed plane at the Rostov-on-Don airport, about 950 kilometres (600 miles) south of Moscow, Russia, on Saturday, March 19, 2016. Photo: AP

MOSCOW: Russia's civil aviation authority issued its first report Friday on last month's crash of a FlyDubai plane in southwestern Russia, shedding light on what caused the sudden descent that killed all 62 people on board. The Interstate Aviation Committee said that a nose-down shift in the horizontal stabiliser occurred after the crew had climbed to 900 metres (3,000 feet) after a second aborted landing during strong, gusty winds. 'Subsequent actions of the crew could not prevent the aircraft's collision with the ground,' the report said, adding that the Boeing 737-800 had a pitch exceeding 50 degrees and a speed of more than 600 kilometres (360 miles) per hour when it crashed. The aviation authority said its investigation into the March 19 crash in the port city Rostov-on-Don was ongoing, with help from pilots from Russia, the United States and the United Arab Emirates. In a statement, FlyDubai CEO Ghaith al-Ghaith said the budget airline was aware of the information that has been released. 'We share the desire to get conclusive findings as quickly as possible,' al-Ghaith said, without discussing the results of the preliminary report.