All 61 passengers on board a Flydubai Boeing 737 from Dubai were killed when the plane crashed while it was landing in Rostov-on-Don, Southern Russia, on March 19. The plane was making its second attempt to land in a bad weather when it missed the runway and burst into flames as it crashed. “flydubai regrets to confirm that flight FZ981 crashed on landing and that fatalities have been confirmed as a result of this tragic accident,” the airline said on its Facebook page.
The Russian officials from local emergencies ministry also confirmed that all 55 passengers and 6 crew on board were killed. “A Boeing 737 crashed as it was coming into land. There were 61 people on board. They are all dead,” said a Russian spokesman.
The plane hit the ground a few hundred metres from the runway as it was making its second approach, a Russian news channel reported.
State news agency Tass reported that the Investigative Committee, the country’s top investigative agency, said preliminary information indicates the plane was landing when it hit the ground and broke into pieces at the airport about 950 kilometers (600 miles) south of Moscow.
“We are putting our emergency response in place and we will be working closely with all the authorities involved. We will share as much information as possible just as soon as we can and we will provide updated information on a regular basis,” Emirates-based flydubai said in a statement on its Facebook page.
There was no immediate information on the cause, but rough weather condition could have been a factor as it was raining hard and a strong wind warning had been issued by the local emergencies ministry.
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