IAC looking into 3 theories of Il-76 crash in Irkutsk region
IRKUTSK. July 4 (Interfax) - Three possible causes of the crash of the Ilyushin Il-76 plane in the line of fighting fires in the Irkutsk region are being looked into, Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) commission chairman Sergei Yakimenko said at a meeting of the operative staff in Irkutsk on Monday.
"Three possible causes are being looked into, i.e. human factor, mechanical malfunction and impact from the environment," Yakimenko said.
Both Il-76 flight recorders found on the crash scene have been delivered to Irkutsk and will soon be brought to Moscow for being deciphered by IAC specialists, he said.
"The condition of the flight recorders is satisfactory; they were impacted by high temperatures," Yakimenko said.
Head of the forensics department of the Russian Investigative Committee's East Siberian transport investigative department Oleg Serebrennikov told Interfax earlier about two theories of the plane crash: technical malfunction and piloting mistake.
The Il-76 was fighting wildfires in the Kachuga district of the Irkutsk region. The tower lost contact with the plane at 6:30 a.m. Moscow time on July 1. The Emergency Situations Ministry said the plane had ten crewmembers onboard.
A Mil Mi-8 helicopter of the forest protection service flying over wildfires saw the plane crash scene south of the village of Rybny Uyan on the side of a hill on July 3. A ground search party found charred debris of the plane. The crew died.
A criminal case was opened on the counts of 'violation of air transport safety and operation rules causing death of two persons or more by negligence'. Detectives are questioning persons who organized the flight and fueled the plane. Technical documentation and fuel samples were seized.