MOSCOW, April 4 (Itar-Tass) — Representatives of French producers of the ATR-72 aircraft that crashed outside Tyumen early on Monday have arrived in Tyumen, a report of the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) said on Wednesday.
“An authorized representative of France, the country that designed and produced the aircraft, and his advisers, including a representative of the plane producer, have arrived today at the site of the crash of the ATR-72 plane operated by UTair, in accordance with the Convention on International Civil Aviation,” the report said.
Thirty-one people died in the crash, and 12 survived. All survivors are in a grave condition.
Under consideration are three versions of the crash – a pilot’s error, a technical malfunction and an error of the ground services.
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. No alcohol was found in the blood of ATR-72 pilots.
The liner logged 35,500 hours, very little for aircraft of such a type, Deputy Transport Minister Valery Okulov noted. The causes should be looked for in how the plane was serviced and prepared for flights, he said.
However, it is already known that the liner was not de-iced before the flight. It does not mean that it was the main cause of the crash, but it will be checked, Rosaviatsiya (Federal Air Transport Agency) chief Alexander Neradko noted.
UTair's ATR-72-200 aircraft will not fly until all the circumstances of the tragedy are established.