Crew of doomed Tu-154 plane may have experienced critical technical failure during ascent

10:17, 26.12.2016 1 min read

The crew aboard the Russian Defense Ministry Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft may have experienced a technical problem during ascent, which it failed to resolve, a source in emergency services told Interfax.

"It is believed that during ascent the crew faced a technical malfunction of a critical nature, which led to the disaster," the source said.

Other theories are also being investigated.

"A pilot's error is not ruled out. However, that is unlikely, the pilots were very experienced, having flown many hours with this type of aircraft," the source said.

The plane wreckage and personal belongings were found 12-14 kilometers off the coast, he said.