Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise Flight 612

Pulkovo Airlines Flight 612 crash

File:1084849.jpg Pulkovo Tu-154M (RA-85185), crashed on August 22 2006
Occurrence
Date	August 22, 2006
Summary	Unknown, pending investigation
Site	Sukha Balka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine
Aircraft type	Tupolev Tu-154M
Operator	Pulkovo Airlines
Registration	RA-85185
Passengers	160
Crew	10
Fatalities	170
Survivors	0

Pulkovo Airlines Flight 612 was an aircraft that crashed near the Russian border over eastern Ukraine on August 22, 2006, while en route from Vityazevo Airport (Anapa) to Pulkovo Airport (St. Petersburg)

Crash

"On Tuesday, at 15:37 (Moscow Time), a Tu-154 airliner of the St. Petersburg-based Pulkovo Airlines sent a SOS signal and disappeared from radar contact at 15:39 (Moscow Time)," Channel One reported. "Preliminary data suggests that the plane crashed 45 kilometers (30 miles) north of Donetsk." Later it was determined that the plane crashed near the village of Sukha Balka (48°20′N 37°46′E).

"At an altitude of 11,500 metres (37,000 feet), the aircraft sent three SOS signals, dropped sharply in altitude and sent another SOS at 3,000 metres (9,000 feet)," said Anatoli Samoshin, vice Flight Operations Director at Pulkovo Airlines. There were no other communications.

Approximately 260 rescue personnel arrived at the scene which has been blocked off by the authorities as the field of debris and bodies is about 400 meters in length. On Wednesday, emergency service personnel concluded their search for bodies, confirming that 170 people perished in the accident. Due to the extensive crash forces and post-accident fires, rescuers believe it will be very difficult to identify the majority of the victims on site. The aircraft crashed in a swampy area, breaking up on impact. The search for black boxes, which was interrupted for the night, concluded in the morning when both recorders were found. The flight recorders will be transported to Moscow for analysis.

The crash was witnessed by a local farmer and a young couple seeking shelter from the rain. They told reporters that they saw the aircraft falling out of the sky and that it burst into flames upon hitting the ground. They could see people in a number of seats that were thrown out of the aircraft on impact, but none showed any signs of life. A man living in a nearby village was able to make a short video of the crash with his cell phone.

Early reports suggest that Flight 612 may have been caught in a thunderstorm; immediately prior to the crash, the pilots notified air traffic control that they were experiencing severe turbulence. According to the residents of a nearby town, the weather at the time of the crash was violent enough to cause power outages and cell phone disruptions on the ground. Authorities on the scene have speculated that the aircraft was struck by lightning which may have initiated an onboard fire. However, another theory has since been proposed. Based on preliminary information, crash investigators believe that the aircraft climbed to an altitude higher than the maximum for which it was designed, causing it to corkscrew out of the sky.

Victims

On their corporate website,[1] Pulkovo Airlines posted a short statement and passengers list confirming that there were 160 passengers and 10 crew members aboard the aircraft. 45 were children under 12 years old. Earlier reports by the media and by the airline indicated that 159 passengers were on the flight, 39 children under 12 and six infants under 2 years of age. Some other sources report that plane was carrying 171 people: "The crew sent the May Day signal and said that the liner was carrying eleven crewmembers and 160 passengers, including 40 children." Authorities could not explain the discrepancy with numbers and ask to wait for expert analysis to be completed.

The Russian Ministry of Extraordinary Situations published a list of passengers travelling on flight 612, which can be found on its website. Out of 159 people, 20 were travelling to Norilsk through St. Petersburg, and three to Murmansk. Most of the passengers were families travelling back from vacations with children.

Russian website Strana.ru [2] is reporting that one passenger was from the Netherlands, two from Germany, one from France and one from Finland. Airline has clarified that those 5 passengers had multiple citizenship in addition to Russian.

Ukraine held a national day of mourning for the people killed in the plane crash on Wednesday August 23 and shifted celebration of their 15th Independence Day from August 24 to August 26. Russia held a national day of mourning on Thursday August 24, 2006.

Mystery Body

Investigators combing the site found 171 bodies and one fragment but authorities couldn't explain the discrepancy with the flight list — which registered 160 passengers and 10 crew — saying expert analysis would be required.

External links

• Photos of RA-85185