Wreckage of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) that crashed in Indonesia Wednesday has been located. Indonesian authorities said they had discovered bodies, but no survivors.
Guests onboard the demonstration flight included several Indonesian carrier representatives and the region is an important customer base for the new Russian regional jet. The Jakarta Post reported Thursday that Sukhoi was suspending all planned Indonesian purchases of the SSJ100 until the cause of the crash had been investigated.
A team consisting of Indonesian National Committee for Transportation Safety and Russian officials are leading the investigation.
Different numbers from between 45 and 50 have been given for how many were onboard the Russian-built aircraft, which was flown by Sukhoi test pilots as part of a sales and marketing tour across Asia.
Three Kartika Airlines representatives were reported to be among the guests onboard, including the company’s operations chief, Aan Husandi Wiganda.
A Kartika executive told the Jakarta Post newspaper that delivery of its 30 SSJ100s ordered in 2008 would likely be delayed pending the results of the crash investigation. Deliveries are scheduled to start in September.
A search and rescue helicopter located wreckage of the aircraft on the side of Mount Salak, a volcanic mountain in Bogor, West Java, at 9:15 a.m. local time May 10, the morning after the crash. Indonesian authorities said the pilots requested to descend from 10,000 ft. to 6,000 ft. and shortly afterward the aircraft disappeared from radar.
The SSJ100 is in service with two airlines—Aeroflot, which has taken delivery of seven aircraft, and Armavia has one aircraft. Other SSJ100 customer airlines include Interjet, Kartika, Lao Central Airlines, Orient Thai Airlines and Sky Aviation. A total of around 340 orders and options have been placed, with many deliveries due to start this year.
The aircraft was certified at the end of last month to operate in the high north latitude area, after undergoing trials at Yakutia’s Tiksi Airport, located at the 71.7 degree of the north latitude. It was granted a type certificate A-176 from the European Aviation Safety Agency in February.
Article Source : ATW Daily News
No comments:
Post a Comment