Utair ATR-72-201 plane crash
Tyumen, Russia
Updated on
The ATR 72 operated by Utair took off from Tyumen, Russia, for a passenger flight to Surgut, Russia. 39 passengers and 4 crewmembers were onboard. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 31 people. 12 people survived with injuries.
The twin-engine turbo-prop plane was performing a domestic flight to carry people to the oil town of Surgut. The plane took off from Tyumen Airport, a regional center in Siberia about 1,700 kilometers east of Moscow. However, contact had been lost with the plane just over three minutes after take-off. Shorlty before the crash, witnesses heard a bang and saw smoke coming out from the plane. The plane lost altitude, and the crew attempted an emergency landing in a snow-covered field.
The plane impacted the ground about 1.4 NM (3 km) away from the takeoff runway end. The 21-year-old ATR 72 burst into flames after the impact. The plane snapped in two, and ended lying in a snowy field with only the tail and rear visible.
The captain and both flight attendants died in the crash, the first officer is amongst the 12 survivors.
First analysis of the data showed that both engines were working normally until impact with the ground. The aircraft had climbed to a maximum altitude of 210 meters (688 feet), then banked 35 degrees to the right followed by a bank to the left that reached more than 50 degrees at impact with the ground.
Due to environmental conditions the aircraft was to be de-iced before departure. However, it was reported the de-icing was not carried out properly.