The Russian Tu-154 that crashed in the Black Sea has triggered numerous speculations. However, the Russian Transport Ministry has ruled out the many speculations and narrowed down to the main theories as to why the Russian Tu-154 went down off Sochi’s coast. The Russian Transport Minister has said that its either a piloting error or a technical problem. The search efforts have been revamped as more aircrafts, divers, and ships continue the search for the bodies on board, black boxes and debris. The Minister Maksim Sokolov also ruled out the probability of a terrorist act.
Speaking at a briefing on Monday, Sokolov said that the main theories don’t include terrorism and hence the Kremlin assumes that its either a technical problem or piloting error. The Minister insisted that only an investigation along with a special technical Ministry of Defense committee will give a more informed report.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) pointed out that there are no facts indicating a terrorist act or diversion aboard the plane. The FSB provided data that provides possible causes of the crash that include penetration of foreign objects into the engine, technical failure, piloting error, faulty fuel.
The FSB also emphasized that there was no military or double-purpose cargo on the Tu-154, nor were there any pyrotechnical devices. It also pointed out that there was no unauthorized people near the aircraft as it refueled in the airport in Adler, a district of the Black Sea resort of Sochi. There are three shifts working in the search operation with a total of 3,500 people involved.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that forty-five vessels and five helicopters and drones are now involved in the search operation. Emergency and investigative authorities have pointed out that a unit of the Emergencies Ministry had discovered large parts of the Tu-154 at a depth of about 27 meters.
A dash cam footage and witnesses had been found by the FSB and they are currently examining the same. The Ministry also reported that it had expanded the search zone around the crash site. The head of Russia’s Emergency pointed out that the flight recorders have not been recovered yet.
