Fears grew Wednesday that a Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) aircraft had crashed during a demonstration flight in Indonesia after no signs of the aircraft or responses from crew has been received many hours after the new jet type disappeared.
Fifty people, including eight crew, were believed to be onboard the SSJ100, which was doing the second of two company demonstration flights from near Jakarta.
The aircraft is believed to be one of two company prototypes being used for sales and marketing promotion tours. The missing aircraft is SN95004.
Indonesian aviation authorities confirmed to Russian News Agency RIA Novosti that a search effort was underway after the aircraft disappeared from radar near Bogor in West Java province, near a volcanic mountain. The aerial search in the mountainous terrain was temporarily suspended after dark.
According to the Russian news agency, air traffic controllers reported that shortly before radio contact was lost, 20 minutes after takeoff, the pilots had requested permission to descend from 10,000 ft. (3,000 m.) to 6,000 ft. (1,800 m.).
“After it was cleared for descent the plane started turning right and descending but then disappeared from the radar screens at an altitude of 6,200 ft. in a mountainous area, 100-120 kilometers from Jakarta airport,” RIA Novosti said, adding that Indonesian authorities have suggested the airplane “may have been hijacked or crashed into a mountain in poor visibility.”
The SSJ100 arrived in Jakarta as part of a demonstration tour of six Asian countries. It had been to Myanmar, Pakistan and Kazakhstan, and after Indonesia was scheduled to visit Laos and Vietnam.
The 100-seat SSJ100 is a joint venture aircraft produced by Sukhoi, Finmeccanica and other companies. It is powered by SaM146 engines produced by PowerJet, a joint venture company of Russia’s NPO Saturn and France’s Snecma. The SSJ100 entered service in 2011 with Armenian Armavia and gained European Aviation Safety Agency certification in early February.
Article Source : ATW Daily News
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