Russian investigators wrap up Sheremetyevo Superjet crash probe

Investigators have completed a probe into a plane crash at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow that resulted in the deaths of 41 people. Authorities are charging pilot Denis Yevdokimov with improper operation of the plane’s control during landing.

The SSJ-100, operated by Aeroflot, was bound for Murmansk on May 5. Approximately 30 minutes after departure, it returned to the airport, made an emergency landing, and burst into flames. There were 73 passengers and five crew members on board the aircraft. Forty-one people were killed and 10 were injured.

Yevdokimov, the captain of the Sukhoi Superjet-100, has pleaded not guilty to violating security regulations. A reinvestigation request filed by the pilot’s defense team has been turned down, lawyer Natalya Mitusova said.

The chief of the Main Forensics Directorate at Russia’s Investigative Committee, Zigmund Lozhis, said earlier that most fatalities on board the SSJ-100 were not due to the impact, but were caused by the hazardous fumes from burning plastics, TASS reported.