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Fuel, video recordings, airport documents taken for investigation

The results of the pilots' blood tests are already known. No alcohol was detected in the blood, the official said

MOSCOW, April 3 (Itar-Tass) —— Investigators have taken fuel samples, video recordings and airport documents for the investigation into the ATR-72 plane crash.

The Russian Investigative Committee’s spokesman Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass that at the airports of Tyumen and Surgut, from where the liner arrived, samples of fuel and documents on fuel supply and fuel storage were taken for the investigation. Video recordings of the plane when it stood at the airport and when it was taking off, recordings of the talks of the pilots with air traffic controllers and airport documents – reports on preparation, daily plans, weather reports and so on were also taken by the investigators, he said.

Thirty eight investigators and chiefs of investigative services and 16 criminal detectives are working at the crash site, at Roshchino airport and in the morgue where the bodies are.

The investigators have put forth the main versions of the crash and drew up a plan for the investigation.

According to the preliminary information, the liner when taking off turned left 150 degrees from the course. Attempting to make an emergency landing with an increasing bank, the plane touched the ground with its left engine and broke up.

The results of the pilots' blood tests are already known. No alcohol was detected in the blood, the official said.

Tyumen experts are to conduct 31 forensic medical examinations.

The flight recorders of the ATR-72 were taken from the site and handed over to experts of the Interstate Aviation Committee. After they analyze the data, comprehensive examinations will be conducted to establish the causes of the crash.

The ATR-72-200 of the UTair airline crashed on Monday at 07:50 local time (05:50 Moscow time), after taking off from Tyumen’s Roshchino airport. The plane was bound for Surgut. The crash killed 31 people. Twelve survived. They are in hospitals. Two of them are in critical condition. One in serious but stable condition is taken to Moscow for treatment.

Under consideration are three versions of the crash – an error of a pilot, a technical malfunction and an error of the ground services.

The Russian Investigative Committee's main department is investigating the case. With the department investigators and detectives from the committee's central office, the group also includes most experienced detectives from the Ural transport investigation department and the Investigative Committee's Tyumen regional department.

The Tyumen Region has declared mourning from April 4 to 6.