Investigation into Russian plane crash presses on

World Today

Investigation into Russian plane crash presses on

Some praise for the pilots and crew in a deadly plane crash in Russia. 41 people died but many others were saved.

Investigators think lightning struck the airplane shortly after takeoff.

CGTN’s Lucy Taylor reports.

The crash site will yield no more clues. The wreckage has been towed away.

Investigators will now continue their work in private as they examine several theories about what led to the plane disaster and whether pilot error contributed to the crash.

“The pilot has confirmed that the plane was struck by lightning, after which all automated systems malfunctioned, which should not happen in modern planes. It’s inconvenient when the lightning strikes but usually, it’s relatively painless and does not lead to any catastrophic consequences. The lighting strike practically paralyzed the plane’s automatic control systems and put the pilots in a very difficult situation,” said Vadim Lukashevich an aviation expert.

Russia is now remembering the victims including two children. Some survivors have now made it home to their families. Others are recovering in hospital.

“The one patient who was in critical condition earlier is now in stable condition. A second patient has breathing issues still, but is no longer in emergency care and is walking around the area. They had relatives visit yesterday,” said Amiran Revishvili the head of the Vishnevsky surgical center.

Some of those who survived have praised the airline crew for helping them to escape an inferno. Russians want to know how a plane can crash out of the sky and burst into flames and could anything have been done differently to save it.