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Boeing 737-500 crash in Kazan in 2013 was due to pilot’s bad training — investigators

The accident claimed 50 lives

At the site of Boeing 737-500 crash in Kazan, 2013 TASS

At the site of Boeing 737-500 crash in Kazan, 2013

MOSCOW, November 14. /TASS/. Investigators have completed the inquiry into the criminal case opened over a Boeing 737-500 passenger liner’s crash at Kazan airport in 2013, which claimed 50 lives, the press-service of the Investigative Committee told TASS.

"The criminal case has been handed over to the prosecutor’s office for the endorsement of the bill of indictment," the IC said.

The investigation found that the air crash was due to mistakes made by the plane’s captain Rustem Salikhov and co-pilot Viktor Gutsul. As follows from the findings, Salikhov lacked flying skills and had been allowed to run a passenger liner on the basis of false certificates. The man who submitted Salikhov’s application containing false evidence to Tatarstan’s inter-regional board of the federal air transport agency Rosaviatsiya in 2009 was the deputy CEO of Tatarstan Airlines, Valery Portnov. The chief of Tatarstan’s interregional board of Rosaviatsiya, Shavkat Umarov, is charged with negligence for failing to check the authenticity of Salikhov’s license.

As a result Salikhov was allowed to fly passenger planes although he lacked the basic knowledge, skills and experience, the IC said.

Also, Portnov and Tatarstan Airline's chief pilot Viktor Fomin did nothing to ensure Salikhov’s proper instruction, but instead upheld his request for the status of an aircraft captain. Salikhov occupied the position starting from March 2012.

In flight from Moscow to Kazan on November 17, 2013 Salikhov in the process of the landing maneuver steered the plane into a precarious position. The co-pilot, Viktor Gutsul, did not intervene. In an emergency that followed Salikhov violated flying rules, thus causing the crash.

The IC said the gathered evidence was based on thorough examinations by experts, including complex forensic, molecular, genetic, chemical and technical tests. More than 200 witnesses were questioned.

Official charges

The criminal case against Salikhov and Gutsul was closed due to their death. Portnov and Fomin have been charged under part 3 of article 263 of Russia’s Criminal Code (violation of air traffic and aircraft operation safety rules that resulted in the negligent death of two or more persons) and Umarov, under part 3 of article 293 of the Criminal Code (negligence that resulted in the death of two or more persons). The criminal case has been handed over to the prosecutor for endorsing the bill of indictment.

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