2016 Russian Defence Ministry Tupolev Tu-154 crash

2016 aircraft accident in the Black Sea October 2019 2016 Russian Defence Ministry Tupolev Tu-154 crash Туполев Ту-154Б-2 (RA-85572).jpg RA-85572, the aircraft involved in the accident, photographed in May 2016 Accident 2016 12 25 y Loss of control at night, spatial disorientation Black Sea, approx 1.5 km 2 off the coast from Sochi, Russia 288 km 2 off the coast from Trabzon, Turkey 43 25 30 N 39 50 13 E type:event inline,title Tupolev Tu-154B-2 Russian Air Force RA-85572 Chkalovsky Airport, Russia Sochi International Airport, Sochi, Russia Khmeimim Air Base, Latakia, Syria 92 84 8 92 0 On 25 December 2016, a Tupolev Tu-154 jetliner of the Russian Defence Ministry crashed into the Black Sea shortly after taking off from Sochi International Airport, Russia, while en route to Khmeimim Air Base, Syria, during the Russian military intervention in the war in Syria. All 92 passengers and crew on board, including 64 members of the Alexandrov Ensemble choir of the Russian Armed Forces, were killed. The aircraft had flown from Chkalovsky Airport and had landed at Sochi to refuel. Aircraft The aircraft involved was a Tupolev 154B-2, tail number RA-85572, msn 83A-572, which had been in operation since 1983,https://rbth.com/politics_and_society/2016/12/25/live-debris-of-tu-154-plane-found-near-sochi-coast_667721 Monday declared day of mourning following Tu-154 crash near Sochi Russia Beyond The Headlines Gleb Fedorov 25 December 2016 25 December 2016 and had flown for about 7,000 hours before the crash.Devitt Polina Osborn Andrew 25 December 2016 All 92 on Syria-bound Russian military jet killed in crash, including 60 from Red Army Choir Reuters Ireland Louise https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-airplane-idUSKBN14E02Y Accident European Russia 200 Accident site within the western part of Russia 43.2530 39.5013 The Tupolev had taken off at 05:27 local time (y 2016 12 25 02 27 Z) from the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, Russia, where it had landed to refuel, bound for Syria.http://www.itv.com/news/story/2016-12-25/russian-military-plane-with-91-on-board-crashes-over-black-sea/ Russian military plane with 91 on board crashes over Black Sea ITV 25 December 2016 25 December 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161225062829/http://www.itv.com/news/story/2016-12-25/russian-military-plane-with-91-on-board-crashes-over-black-sea/ dead Two minutes after takeoff, the aircraft crashed into the Black Sea, 1.5 km mi 1 from the coast. Wreckage was found at a depth of 50 to 70 m ft.Farrer Martin Russian military plane missing in Black Sea with up to 100 on board https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/25/russian-military-plane-missing-in-black-sea-with-up-to-100-on-board-report-says The Guardian 25 December 2016 25 December 2016 All 92 people on board were killed.https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20161225-0 Accident description Aviation Safety Network 25 December 2016 Passengers and crew Of the 92 passengers and crew on board, 64 were members of the Alexandrov Ensemble choir, the official choir of the Russian Armed Forces, including its director Valery Khalilov.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38430164 Russian military plane crashes in Black Sea near Sochi BBC News 25 December 2016 25 December 2016 The members of the Ensemble were travelling from Moscow to the Russian military base at Khmeimim near Latakia, Syria, to take part in New Year celebrations in a show for Russian troops participating in the Syrian War.Filipov David 26 December 2016 Russia focusing on pilot error or technical issues rather than terrorism in plane crash The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/no-survivors-found-after-russian-military-plane-with-92-on-board-crashes-en-route-to-syria/2016/12/25/d4bca3f0-ca7c-11e6-a22f-f4d703887285_story.html live subscription 26 December 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161225105041/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/no-survivors-found-after-russian-military-plane-with-92-on-board-crashes-en-route-to-syria/2016/12/25/d4bca3f0-ca7c-11e6-a22f-f4d703887285_story.html 25 December 2016 Among the other passengers were Russian soldiers, medical worker Elizaveta Glinka,Pappas Steven M. December 27, 2016 'Dr. Liza' dies in Russian plane crash https://www.timesargus.com/dr-liza-dies-in-russian-plane-crash/article_951ad9d3-d000-52fd-a08b-bc469e7e202a.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20161226054429/http://www.timesargus.com/article/20161225/THISJUSTIN/161229731 26 December 2016 25 December 2016 Barre Montpelier Times Argus dmy-all the director of the Department of Culture for the Russian Ministry of Defence, Anton Gubankov,Putin declares national day of mourning over Russia military plane crash http://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/russia-plane-with-up-to-100-onboard-disappears-from-radar-bbc 25 December 2016 The Straits Times 25 December 2016 Other passengers named were the head of the military band, Valery Khalilov, and the head of the defence ministry’s department of culture, Anton Gubankov, said RT. nine journalists (three each from Channel One Russia, NTV, and Zvezda), and two civilian officials.November 2020 The crew: Captain: Roman Alexandrovich Volkov, 35 First Officer: Alexander Sergeevich Rovenskiy, 33 Flight Engineer: Valery Nikolaevich Parikmaherov, 29 Flight Engineer: Alexander Anatolievich Tregubov, 51 Navigator: Alexander Nikolaevich Petukhov, 49 Navigator: Andrei Vladimirovich Mamonov, 34 Flight Operator: Alexei Olegovich Sukhanov, 31 Flight Mechanic: Viktor Sergeevich Sushkov, 25 Investigation thumb|Map of crash site released by the Russian Ministry of Defence By 27 December, the cockpit voice and flight data recorders had been located, and both were later recovered and sent to Moscow for analysis.https://news.sky.com/story/russian-plane-crash-black-box-found-in-wreckage-10709187 Russian plane crash: Black box found in wreckage Sky News 27 December 2016https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38441903 Russian plane crash: Experts begin examining flight recorder 27 December 2016 BBC 27 December 2016http://tass.com/world/923122 Third flight data recorder of Tu-154 plane destroyed – source TASS 29 December 2016 By 28 December, the bodies of 18 people had been recovered from the sea.https://rg.ru/2016/12/28/reg-ufo/v-chernom-more-nashli-tela-eshche-treh-pogibshih-pri-krushenii-tu-154.html В Черном море нашли тела еще трех погибших при крушении Ту-154 РИА Новости ru Rescuers find three more bodies from Tu-154 disaster in the Black Sea 26 December 2016 On 29 December, a third recorder, which backs up data from the CVR and FDR, was found, which, despite being damaged, revealed more information. One Russian official downplayed the possibility of a terrorist attack as the cause of the crash, focusing more on the possibility of mechanical or human error.https://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/terror-attack-possible-cause-of-russian-plane-crash-investigators-say-35320211.html Terror attack possible cause of Russian plane crash, investigators say The Irish Independent 25 December 2016 26 December 2016 After the crash, all Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft in Russia were grounded.2016-12-27 Russia grounds entire fleet of planes after crash in which 92 people were killed https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/russia-grounds-entire-fleet-of-tu154-plane-after-crash-kills-92-people-a7497021.html 2025-11-06 The Independent en A bright flash was purportedly caught on surveillance cameras along the Sochi coastline before the crash.(VIDEO) OVO JE TRENUTAK KADA JE AVION PAO U MORE: Od eksplozije noć se pretvorila u dan! https://www.kurir.rs/planeta/video-ovo-je-trenutak-kada-je-avion-pao-u-more-od-ekspolozije-noc-se-pretvorila-u-dan-clanak-2606315/ 25 December 2016 Kurir, Serbia hr https://web.archive.org/web/20161226220035/http://www.kurir.rs/planeta/video-ovo-je-trenutak-kada-je-avion-pao-u-more-od-ekspolozije-noc-se-pretvorila-u-dan-clanak-2606315 26 December 2016 dead dmy-all Witnesses told reporters the plane appeared to experience trouble in gaining altitude, turned 180 degrees, started descending and crashed into the sea.Pavlov Alexander Tikhonov Dmitry Shevchenko Ksenia 25 December 2016 Катастрофа Ту-154 Минобороны России в Черном море Catastrophe Defense Ministry Russian Tu-154 in the Black Sea https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3181481 27 December 2016 ommersant.ru ru KommersantPazderka Josef 27 December 2016 Chyba zkušených pilotů? Rusové našli první černou skříňku, při zkoumání pádu letadla ale stále tápou Error experienced pilots? The Russians found the first black box, when examining the plane crash but still grope https://zpravy.aktualne.cz/zahranici/chyba-zkusenych-pilotu-rusove-zatim-porad-tapou-pri-vysetrov/r~b46cfac6cbc811e6aa860025900fea04/?_ga=1.237193024.1583613805.1466620372 27 December 2016 zpravy.aktualne.cz cs On 27 December, the Interfax news agency reported that Russian investigators believed the crash was due to a fault with the aircraft flaps. The Life.ru news portal was reported to have obtained a recording of the last words of one of the pilots: "The flaps, damn it. Commander, we are going down." There was no official confirmation.Osborn Andrew 27 December 2016 Williams Alison Wing flap fault main theory behind Black Sea Russian jet crash https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-airplane-black-box-idUSKBN14G0CY 28 December 2016 Reutershttps://www.ibtimes.co.uk/flaps-damn-it-russian-pilots-last-words-before-tu-154-plunged-into-black-sea-1598312 'The flaps, damn it,' Russian pilot's last words before Tu-154 plunged into Black Sea Vasudevan Sridharan 28 December 2016 International Business Times 28 December 2016 On 29 December, it was announced by the Flight Safety Service of the Russian Ministry that a preliminary analysis of data from the cockpit voice recorder showed that no explosion had occurred on board.http://tass.com/world/923191 Defense Ministry: Terror attack possibility in Tu-154 crash not discarded TASS 29 December 2016 On 16 January, the Interstate Aviation Committee, the civil authority in aviation accident investigation, announced that its representative would participate in the investigation.https://mak-iac.org/en/rassledovaniya/tu-154b-2-ra-85572-25-12-2016 TU-154B-2 RA-85572 25.12.2016 investigation 16 January 2017 On 19 January, Interfax reported that, during the underwater search, remains had also been found of a Soviet Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston bomber, supplied from the U.S. through the Lend-Lease agreement, which crashed on 15 November 1942.Американский бомбардировщик времен войны найден под Сочи в ходе поисков Ту-154 https://www.interfax.ru/russia/546071 19 January 2017 Interfax On 31 May 2017, Russia's Kommersant said all the evidence pointed to the pilot, Maj Roman Volkov having suffered from somatogravic illusion. Analysis of the flight data suggested that the pilot had "lost his bearings and ignored his instruments, believing that the jet was climbing too sharply." Fatigue was thought to be a factor. Experts said that he was already feeling unwell on the ground and had trouble getting the plane on to the correct runway; he could not understand which of the two runways he was to take off from and which way to taxi. An escort vehicle was deployed to get him to the correct runway.https://kommersant.ru/doc/3313458 Управляемая катастрофа ru 31 May 2017 Managed catastrophe The Commission fully confirmed as set out in the "b" version of another January 9 that managing their pilot lost orientation in space, hitting the power of the so-called somatogravic illusions.https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40117209 Russia Black Sea air crash: Pilot error blamed BBC News 1 June 2017https://themoscowtimes.com/news/defence-ministry-says-december-plane-crash-caused-by-disorientation-58133 Deadly TU-154 Christmas Day Plane Crash Caused by Human Error, Says Russian Defence Ministry June 2017 The Moscow Times 1 September 2017 The criminal case was dismissed in December 2019 due to lack of corpus delicti. All materials of the investigation are classified.2021-06-23 Дело о катастрофе Ту-154 реанимируют через Европу https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4869140 2023-06-13 Kommersant ru Reactions Russia observed a national day of mourning on 26 December, at the declaration of President Vladimir Putin.Blau Max Fantz Ashley 25 December 2016 Russian plane crash: Choir members on board, no sign of survivors https://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/25/asia/russian-military-jet-disappears/ 25 December 2016 CNNhttps://www.nytimes.com/video/world/europe/100000004841464/russia-observes-day-of-mourning-for-crash-victims.html Russia Observes Day of Mourning for Crash Victims Reuters, Associated Press 26 December 2016 28 December 2016 The New York Times Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu ordered that the Moscow Military Music College be given the honorific Valery Khalilov.Ruptly Russia: Moscow Military Music College to be renamed after Alexandrov Ensemble director 26 December 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jgbAAlSxVY On 28 December, French satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo published several cartoons mocking the tragedy. 2016-12-28 French Satirists at Charlie Hebdo Infuriate Russians With Mockery of Dec. 25 Plane Crash https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2016/12/28/french-satirists-at-charlie-hebdo-infuriate-russians-with-mockery-of-dec-25-plane-crash-a56685 2023-06-05 The Moscow Times en In response, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said: "If such, I dare say, 'artistry' is the real manifestation of 'Western values', then those who hold and support them are doomed".Kreiter Marcy 2016-12-28 Russian Official Calls Charlie Hebdo Cartoon 'Abomination' https://www.ibtimes.com/charlie-hebdo-cover-russia-angered-cartoon-tu-154-plane-crash-2466716 2023-06-05 International Business Times en-US See also List of Russian military accidents 1996 Belgian Air Force Hercules accident which also resulted in the loss of a military band Armavia Flight 967, a plane that crashed in 2006 near this accident's crash site References Russia Asia Aviation Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving controlled flight into terrain Category:2016 in military history Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Russia in 2016 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Tupolev Tu-154 Category:Accidents and incidents involving Russian Air Force aircraft Category:Disasters in the Black Sea Category:21st-century military history of Russia Category:Russian involvement in the Syrian civil war Category:Alexandrov Ensemble Category:2010s in Sochi Category:Russian military bands Category:December 2016 in Russia