Surveillance camera images purporting to show the landing accident involving an Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet 100 indicate the aircraft bounced before touching down hard and catching fire.
Russia’s federal Investigative Committee states that 37 occupants survived the accident, which suggests as many as 41 fatalities from the 78 on board.
The aircraft appears to make contact with the runway in a relatively flat attitude, possibly even nose-gear first, before pitching up and becoming airborne, rising to a height of around 20-30ft and then pitching nose-down.
It descends and appears to barely reach a level attitude before striking the runway surface, at which point fire erupts from the aircraft.
The video, yet to be authenticated by FlightGlobal, has been carried by Russian publications including Life.
While the status of the landing-gear is unclear the attitude of the aircraft suggests the main undercarriage collapsed, while the fire indicates that the engines, or the wing fuel tanks, sustained damage during the runway contact.
The fire completely destroyed the aft fuselage and empennage of the aircraft, which veered off the runway before coming to rest.
Flight SU1492 had been bound for Murmansk but attempted to return to Moscow Sheremetyevo after encountering problems after departure.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
