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Investigators name cause of most deaths in last May’s SSJ-100 crash at Moscow airport

The disaster claimed 41 lives

© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS

MOSCOW, October 17. /TASS/. Most passengers of the ill-fortunate air liner Sukhoi Superjet-100, which crashed at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport last May, died by poisoning with hazardous fumes from burning plastic panels of the interior, the chief of the forensic examinations department at Russia’s Investigative Committee, Zigmund Lozhis, told the daily Kommersant in an interview.

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41 people died in plane fire at Moscow airport

"Most people were killed not by the impact, but by fire and poisoning with combustion fumes. According to preliminary findings, the hazardous substances were emitted by burning fuel and the cabin’s plastic panels," he said.

The passengers had no time to put on oxygen masks. Everything happened very quickly. Most died in their seats, for they had no time to unfasten the seat belts and react to the emergency.

The chief of the forensic examination center said that he had visited the site of the crash together with his colleagues. The forensic examination department has skilled fire and explosion experts and air incidents. Their findings have complemented the conclusions provided by experts from other agencies.

"In investigating air crashes IAC specialists enjoy vast powers. They establish the cause of this or that incident in general. Then we take over to probe into the details and the accompanying events," Lozhis said.

All DNA tests in the SSJ-100 crash case were carried out by the Health Ministry.

SSJ-100 crash

Aeroflot’s SSJ-100 passenger jet, which left Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on May 5 for Murmansk, had to return to the air harbor 30 minutes later due to technical problems. The plane crash-landed and caught fire. There were 73 passengers and five crew on board. The disaster claimed 41 lives. Ten were hurt.

A criminal case was opened over the air crash 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). The maximum prison term under this article is seven years in jail. Investigators accused the crew’s commander Denis Yevdokimov for misusing the control stick during the landing. Yevdokimov signed a written promise not to leave town. He pled not guilty.

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