Russian authorities released a video of the tragic Aeroflot Flight SU1492 crash-landing on May 5, 2019, showing the Superjet 100 aircraft landing in flames and the evacuation effort.
The video was uploaded to social media by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (IC) on April 15, 2020. The authority was investigated, and has now finished, the criminal case against the captain of Aeroflot Flight SU1492.
СК опубликовал видео прошлогодней катастрофы SuperJet в Шереметьево pic.twitter.com/IuHYoBHryo
— Телеканал 360° (@360tv) April 15, 2020
The aircraft, carrying flight SU1492, took off from Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) to Murmansk Airport (MMK). Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft was hit by lightning and lost radio communication. The pilots attempted to perform an emergency landing, but the Superjet 100 hit the runway, which sparked a fire at the back of the aircraft. There were 78 people onboard, including passengers and crew.
The accident still carries a lot of controversy. Aeroflot denied its flight crews’ fault, but the initial report released on June 5, 2019, has provided recommendations to both the design of the aircraft and “Extended Envelope Training” for pilots.
The Main Directorate on Major Crimes Investigation of the Investigative Committee has accused the pilot in command, Denis Evdokimov, of breaching the country’s criminal code by violating traffic safety rules and of negligence during air transport operation, causing death and serious harm to human health (Part 3 of Art. 263 of the Criminal Code).
“Investigators and experts studied the data of the flight recorders of the crashed aircraft, according to which during the flight the aircraft adequately responded to the pilot’s control actions. This information refutes the accused’s version of a possible aircraft malfunction,” the IC outlined.
Evdokimov, a former military pilot, had a total of 6,800 flight hours, including 1,570 hours as a pilot of the Russian jet and 1,428 hours as the captain.