The investigation of the May 2019 Sukhoi Superjet 100 crash in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport considers a pilot error to be the main cause of the tragedy, a source in the investigative agencies told TASS on Wednesday, underlining that the investigation may take up approximately 18 more moths, Trend reports.
"The investigation of the aviation incident with the Sukhoi Superjet at Sheremetyevo will go on for 12-18 months more," the source said. "It is because a large set of air, aviation and technical tests need to be carried out. However, the conclusion can be confidently drawn now that the incident was caused by a pilot error."
This assessment is in line with the preliminary report issued by the Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) on June 14. According to the document, the jet was struck by lightning a few minutes after the takeoff, which resulted in automatic control failure and communication issues. The crew did not deem the situation extraordinary and decided to return to Sheremetyevo, in spite of the alarm going off, warning them to turn around. The jet hit the runway a few times while landing, the landing gear legs broke and the fire broke out.
Seventy-three passengers and five crewmembers were onboard, 41 people died and nine were hospitalized. A criminal case was launched. Pilots’ insufficient qualifications, technical malfunction and unfavorable weather conditions are among the catastrophe causes investigated.