Posted on 08/24/2004 9:03:09 PM PDT by Destro
Wreckage of second missing plane found
Aug 25, 2004
The wreckage of the second missing Russian plane has been found.
Two planes crashed, each with 40 people on board.
The planes were reported missing within minutes of each other late on Tuesday night, and Russian news agencies said President Vladimir Putin had ordered the FSB security service to investigate the incidents, something it would normally do only when there are suspicious circumstances.
Witnesses saw an explosion on board one of the planes just before it crashed near Tula,150 km south of Moscow.
Local news agencies reported that security had been tightened at all the country's airports after the incidents.
The suggestion that the incidents might have been deliberately caused will raise concerns of possible political motivation.
The incidents come just days before a presidential election in Chechyna where Moscow has been battling separatist rebels for a decade. The rebels launched a major raid in the local capital Grozny last week and have promised more attacks.
A ministry spokeswoman said a Tu-134 airliner with 34 passengers and eight crew flying from Moscow to Volgograd crashed after contact with it was lost at just before 11pm.
The ministry spokeswoman said the wreckage was found near the town of Tula.
"Rescue teams are working at the site," she said. "We have no information about possible survivors, but frankly speaking one could hardly expect to find them after this kind of crash."
Just three minutes later, air traffic controllers lost contact with another passenger plane -- a Tu-154 with 44 passengers and eight crew on board -- flying from Moscow to the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Contact was lost as the plane was flying near the southern city of Rostov-on-Don.
Both planes had taken off from Moscow's Domodedovo airport.
Russian air carrier Sibir has been quoted as saying it owned the plane that went missing near Rostov-on-Don.
A company spokesman told the agency 38 passengers were on board the plane, in operation since 1982.
The Emergencies ministry spokeswoman said a fire was seen at a location where contact with Tu-154 was lost.
"But rescue teams have not reached the place and I cannot say now whether it was the plane," she said. "We continue to refer to the plane as missing for now."
Itar-Tass news agency quoted a Moscow air controllers' source as saying that there had been no reports of any problems from the crew of the Tu-134 before it crashed near Tula.
Source: Reuters
Infuriating.
And these kinds of terrorists are the ones that Kerry wants to treat with "sensitivity".
Just Damn.. what next?
Looks like someone wanted to frag Putin. Now would be a good time for Bush to call him and ask him if he wants to come on board. Something tells me the Ruskies won't go Spanish on us.
Prayers for the passengers and crews and their families.
The Russians are not playing around when a jetliner squawks a hijack - better to lose 40 than thousands!
2 Aeroflots down
Lessons learned from Sept 11, 2001
Praying for survivors.
Prayers for the passengers and crews and their families.
Just listening to Kerry on Television. He said, "You cannot lead America by misleading the American People." Sound correct to me but then I never was going to vote for him anyhow. Is he planning on negotiating with Putin or the Islamists in Grosney? Will he take Air Force 1 or be sensitive and take the Russian airlines like these 87 people did?
Wonder if the Russians will be truthful with us..and if the black boxes are intact.
You think Ivan shot down his own planes once they got the squawk? I would too, if I were them. Unless the terrs were on board and knew they were blown, so they detonated the bombs. Be Seeing You,
Chris
May God receive them into His bosom and grant them His infinite and tender mercy. May He show compassion on the loved ones who are left behind.
I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
--quote from TVNZ New Zealand, about 2 hours ago.
I'll bet they didn't have reinforced cabin doors either. Maybe after today they'll get 'em.
> Witnesses saw an explosion on board one of the
> planes just before it crashed ...
This is more credible than usual, because it was at night.
However, if the a/c controls were being fought over, an
overstress airframe failure could result in breakup, fire
and fuel ignition at altitude.
> The Russians are not playing around when a jetliner
> squawks a hijack - better to lose 40 than thousands!
Given the state of the Russian airforce, I tend to
doubt they could have scrambled an intercept in time.
This is more likely a "let's roll" scenario, but if
it was an authorized shootdown, I don't expect we'll
ever learn it.
I think maybe after this Putin will eradicate the terrorists in Chechnia and anywhere near it.
Mysterious simultaneous centerline fuel tank malfunctions, no doubt.
Russia won't join us in Iraq. There's nothing in it for them...and we don't need them.
Iran, however, might be a different matter...
Oh, I don't know, maybe a mushroom cloud over Chechnia?
Welcome to the party, Pal.
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