Narrative:
Sibir Airlines Flight 1047, a Tupolev Tu-154, departed Moscow about 22:40 on a domestic passenger flight to Sochi, Russia. At an altitude of 12100 m an explosion occurred inside cabin on the right hand side on seat row 25. An explosive decompression followed and the aircraft entered a descent. It subsequently broke up and crashed, killing all 46 on board.
The aircraft crashed almost simultaneously with a Volga-Aviaexpress Tupolev Tu-134 which had also departed Moscow's Domodedovo Airport earlier that night. Investigations revealed traces of Hexogen, a highly sophisticated explosive also known as RDX in the wreckage. It appeared that the explosives had been carried aboard by a female passenger. Two female suicide bombers arrived at Moscow at 19:45 on the same day on a flight from Makhachkala in the company of another two Chechens. They were taken aside on arrival and were handed to a police captain in charge of antiterrorist precautions, but they were released without apparently having been searched. Both women then bought tickets on the Sibir flight to Sochi and the Volga-Aviaexpress to Volgograd from a black-market peddler. After bribing a Sibir Airlines employee in charge of check-in and boarding one of the women was able to bypass security and get on board the Tupolev Tu-154.
The cause of the crashes of Tu-154 RA 85556 and Tu-134 RA 65080 aircrafts on August 24, 2004 was the destruction of aircraft construction in flight as a result of the impact of explosive charges.
Sabotage
Loss of control
» ITAR-TASS
» Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation
accident date: 24-08-2004
type: Tupolev Tu-154B-2
registration: RA-85556
| Status: | 5 |
| Date: | Tuesday 24 August 2004 |
| Time: | 22:53 |
| Type: |  Tupolev Tu-154B-2 |
| Operator: | Sibir Airlines |
| Registration: | RA-85556 |
| MSN: | 82A556 |
| First flight: | 1982 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 30751 |
| Engines: | 3 Kuznetsov NK-8-2U |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 38 / Occupants: 38 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 46 / Occupants: 46 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 8 km (5 mls) from Gluboki ( Russia)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Moskva-Domodedovo Airport (DME/UUDD), Russia |
| Adler/Sochi Airport (AER/URSS), Russia | |
| Flightnumber: | 1047 |
Sibir Airlines Flight 1047, a Tupolev Tu-154, departed Moscow about 22:40 on a domestic passenger flight to Sochi, Russia. At an altitude of 12100 m an explosion occurred inside cabin on the right hand side on seat row 25. An explosive decompression followed and the aircraft entered a descent. It subsequently broke up and crashed, killing all 46 on board.
The aircraft crashed almost simultaneously with a Volga-Aviaexpress Tupolev Tu-134 which had also departed Moscow's Domodedovo Airport earlier that night. Investigations revealed traces of Hexogen, a highly sophisticated explosive also known as RDX in the wreckage. It appeared that the explosives had been carried aboard by a female passenger. Two female suicide bombers arrived at Moscow at 19:45 on the same day on a flight from Makhachkala in the company of another two Chechens. They were taken aside on arrival and were handed to a police captain in charge of antiterrorist precautions, but they were released without apparently having been searched. Both women then bought tickets on the Sibir flight to Sochi and the Volga-Aviaexpress to Volgograd from a black-market peddler. After bribing a Sibir Airlines employee in charge of check-in and boarding one of the women was able to bypass security and get on board the Tupolev Tu-154.
Probable Cause:
The cause of the crashes of Tu-154 RA 85556 and Tu-134 RA 65080 aircrafts on August 24, 2004 was the destruction of aircraft construction in flight as a result of the impact of explosive charges.
Classification:
Explosive decompressionSabotage
Loss of control
Sources:
» gazeta.ru» ITAR-TASS
» Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation
Photos
accident date: 24-08-2004
type: Tupolev Tu-154B-2
registration: RA-85556
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Moskva-Domodedovo Airport to Adler/Sochi Airport as the crow flies is 1328 km (830 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
Distance from Moskva-Domodedovo Airport to Adler/Sochi Airport as the crow flies is 1328 km (830 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
languages: 
Russia
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Tupolev Tu-154
- 1026 built
- 62nd loss
- 33rd fatal accident
- 22nd worst accident (at the time)
- 26th worst accident (currently)
Russia- 46th worst accident (at the time)
- 55th worst accident (currently)
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