A crane lifts the damaged Sukhoi SSJ100 aircraft of Aeroflot Airlines in Sheremetyevo airport, outside Moscow, Russia, Monday, May 6, 2019. Russian emergency workers have recovered 41 bodies and two flight recorders from the wreckage of the plane that caught fire during an emergency landing in Moscow, officials said Monday as they sought to discover the cause of the disaster. (AP Photo)

Russian plane crash survivor recalls strong lightning strike

By The Associated Press May 7, 2019 at 4:04am

MOSCOW (AP) — A survivor of the Russian commercial airliner that crash-landed in Moscow on Sunday, killing 41 people, says a flash of lightning was heard moments before the plane began its emergency descent.

Investigators are still working to understand what happened to cause the plane to ignite in a fireball upon landing. A lightning strike is one theory.

Dmitry Kharinin, an engineer and resident of Volgograd told a local news outlet Tuesday that he saw the lightning: “It was very strong, and could be heard throughout the cabin.”

Kharinin says he did not witness a direct lightning strike on the Russian-made Sukhoi SSJ100. However, he speculates that the electromagnetic discharge of the lightning may have disabled plane systems.

The plane landed hard, destroying the landing gear and igniting the engines, he said.

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Submit a Correction →

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:

WJ Wire

The Associated Press

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter

@AP

Facebook

The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.

Location

New York City