Latest photos of passengers killed in a plane crash in Egypt. Lost flight: what is known about the causes of the A321 crash a year later 10/31 crashed
Exactly two years ago, on October 31, 2015, the most massive air crash in terms of the number of deaths occurred in the entire history of Russia. On this day, an Airbus A321-231 airliner of a Russian airline took off from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and headed for St. Petersburg. The airliner's crew performed chartered flight and drove Russian tourists home after rest.
The plane climbed calmly along the Gulf of Aqaba and would soon cross the Sinai Peninsula to enter European airspace. However, at the 23rd minute of the flight, communication between ground services and the aircraft was interrupted. It soon became clear that the Airbus A321-231 crashed to the ground in the central part of the Sinai Peninsula and was completely destroyed. The wreckage of the aircraft was scattered over 13 km. All 224 people on board the plane were killed.
At the time of the death of the airliner, there were seven crew members and 217 passengers. Of these, four were Ukrainians, one was Belarusian, and the rest were Russian citizens. Among them was the deputy head of Pskov and a deputy of the local legislative assembly. According to the Federal Air Transport Agency, the oldest passenger was 77 years old, and
the youngest victim of the tragedy was a 10-month-old.
Shortly before the tragic incident, her mother Tatyana published a photo of the child on a page on the VKontakte social network. The photo shows the girl standing on the windowsill of an airport window with her back to the viewer. She looks at the planes on the ground. She captioned the photo: “The most important passenger.”
This photograph was later circulated by many Russian and world media and became a symbol of the Sinai disaster. Diana's mother and father also died as a result of the plane crash.
The Russian President, as well as the leaders of many countries in Europe and the world, expressed condolences to the victims. The day after the plane crashed, mourning was declared in Russia. However, the French published three cartoons on the topic of the disaster, which caused a negative reaction from the Russian Federation and. In response, the French Foreign Ministry stated that “in France, journalists freely express their opinions,” while “it does not always coincide with the official position of the French authorities.”
“There were no questions about the car”
Soon after the incident, various versions of what happened began to be put forward. Almost immediately, the hypothesis that the plane crashed due to a pilot error was dismissed. Victim Airbus crash was controlled by experienced pilots, and the crew commander, 48-year-old Valery Nemov, flew over 12 thousand hours, of which more than 3860 were on the Airbus A321.
However, details of the aircraft’s operation soon became known, and it turned out that it was far from new.
It was released in the spring of 1997 and made its first flight on May 9. After this, the aircraft was transferred to the American company International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), which by May 27 leased it to the Lebanese airline Middle East Airlines (MEA), which had owned it for six years. On June 2, 2003, already under tail number TC-OAE, the airliner was leased to the Turkish airline Onur Air. This structure later sub-leased the aircraft to Saudi Arabian Airlines, and from July 30 to September 29, 2010 to Syrian Cham Wings Airlines. By the spring of 2012, the TC-OAE board returned to ILFC, and by March 30, 2012, it was leased to the Russian Kogalymavia.
On April 30 of the same 2012, it was bought from ILFC by the Dutch airline AerCap, which re-delivered this airliner to the Russian Kogalymavia. Russian airline, in turn, since May 1, 2012, has already operated under the Metrojet brand.
During the long service of the aircraft, an unpleasant incident occurred from a safety point of view. On November 16, 2001, he was flying passenger flight ME 306 on the Beirut-Cairo route and during landing at the airport in the Egyptian capital, the pilots raised his nose too high, causing the tail to drop so low that it hit the ground. None of the 88 people on board the plane (81 passengers and 7 crew members) were injured then, and the airliner itself returned to passenger routes after undergoing repairs. This information was confirmed by representatives of Kogalymavia, assuring that the aircraft passed all the necessary checks and technical tests on time.
On the eve of departure, the ill-fated flight underwent maintenance, and the receiving crew had no questions about the car.
Interrupted message
An investigation into the causes of the tragedy was launched by several large structures of the world, since Egypt is a very popular tourist destination citizens of many countries. The investigation began to be carried out by the Ministry civil aviation Egyptian, Russian, Bureau of Investigation and Analysis of Civil Aviation Safety of France, German Federal Bureau of Investigation aviation accidents, the Irish Aircraft Accident Investigation Branch, and the US National Transportation Safety Board.
At the same time, in accordance with international law, general management was carried out by Egyptian investigators, since the incident occurred in the airspace of this country. Already on the first of November, the previously found “black boxes” from the lost liner were deciphered. In the meantime, he opened criminal cases under Articles 263 and 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Violation of traffic safety rules and operation of railway, air, sea and inland water transport and metro" and "Production, storage, transportation or sale of goods and products, performance of work or provision of services that do not meet safety requirements").
The UK and German airlines also interrupted flights with the Egyptian state, and France, the Netherlands and Belgium warned their citizens against flying to Sharm el-Sheikh. In addition, it announced the cancellation of night flights to Sharm el-Sheikh.
Customers not identified
Meanwhile, the victims in the disaster case filed a class action lawsuit against the tour operator, Kogalymavia airline and insurance companies for a total amount of about €1.4 billion. This is the first example of a class action lawsuit for such a serious amount in Russian history.
And although the involvement of Kogalymavia employees in the incident over Sinai is not confirmed by facts, in the spring of 2016 it banned internal and international flights this airline.
According to the most frequently voiced version, the Sinai division of the terrorist “” (both organizations are banned in Russia) was behind the terrorist attack. Its members accepted responsibility for this crime shortly after the fact.
However, there are other points of view. A number of experts believe that the Qatari organization Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (a cell of the Islamic State banned in Russia) could be behind the terrorist attack. The United States also announced its trace in the tragedy.
Be that as it may, after the plane crashed Russian aviation began to intensify air strikes against targets of various Islamist organizations in Syria. For the first time, Russian strategic aviation was involved in raids on IS targets and other extremists.
However, the names of the specific perpetrators of the terrorist attack have not yet been established.
And on October 28, 2017, a monument to the victims of the disaster was unveiled at the Serafimovskoye cemetery in St. Petersburg. In addition, among St. Petersburg residents there is an idea to erect a monument to 10-month-old Darina Gromova, which a famous sculptor has already promised to make for free.
On the morning of October 31, 2015, an A-321 plane en route from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg crashed on the Sinai Peninsula.
The worst plane crash in recent years. The airliner, owned by the Kogalymavia company, was flying from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to St. Petersburg. It crashed about 30 minutes after it took off.
How many people were on board the plane
There were 224 people on board at the time of the tragedy. Among them were seven members of the aircraft crew, as well as 29 children. Almost all of the dead are Russians.
How many children died?
The Airbus A321 crash killed 29 children.
Total number of victims in the plane crash in Egypt
All passengers and crew members, 224 people, died in the plane crash. The bodies of the victims were delivered to St. Petersburg; they will be sent to the city crematorium for the identification procedure.
Cause of plane crash: black boxes (video)
The decryption of the black boxes will be carried out in Egypt. The exact cause of the plane crash will be established only after a full examination of the flight recorder data.
The reasons for the plane crash in Egypt were a terrorist attack. Expert version (Video)
Relatives of the victims in the program on NTV (video)
Relatives of the victims, who lost several loved ones at once, came to the NTV program.
List of dead in Egypt 10/31/2015
The crew of the Airbus A321 aircraft of the KagalymAvia airline 7K9268:
1. Nemov Valery Yuryevich - PIC
2. Trukhachev Sergey Stanislavovich - 2nd pilot
3. Martsevich Valentina Petrovna - senior. flight attendant
4. Belomestnov Andrey Vitalievich - flight attendant
5. Olaru Irina Dmitrievna - flight attendant
6. Stanislav Vasilievich Sviridov - flight attendant
7. Filimonov Alexey Andreevich - flight attendant
List of passengers on the Airbus A321 aircraft of the KagalymAvia airline 7K9268:
Republic of Karelia
1. Semakov* Alexey Andreevich 10/08/1979
2. Semakova Oksana Aleksandrovna 09/23/1975
Arhangelsk region
3. Chernova Alexandra Alekseevna 03/02/1996
Leningrad region
4. Gromov Alexey Mikhailovich 06/01/1988
5. Gromova Tatyana Sergeevna 12/09/1988
6. Gromova Darina Alekseevna 12/26/2014
7. Bogdanov Dmitry Evgenievich 01/27/1969
8. Bogdanov Anton Dmitrievich 10/28/2005
9. Bogdanova Anastasia Dmitrievna 10/04/1993
10. Ivleva Maria Romanova 09/07/2000
11. Grechkina Tatyana Ivanovna 01/20/1952
12. Radlevich Alla Ivanovna 07/02/1959
13. Radlevich Alexander Mikhailovich 01/04/1956
14. Sayapina Natalya Vladimirovna 10/24/1975
15. Sayapin Alexey Viktorovich 09/23/1970
16. Laisheva Nadezhda Aleksandrovna 01/17/1991
17. Kuznetsova Natalya Vladimirovna 02/05/1986
18. Pavlova Irina Gennadievna 09/23/1963
19. Mikhailyukova Valentina Stepanovna 03/18/1955
20. Kharitonov Leonid Nikolaevich 04/05/1971
21. Kiselev Anatoly Sergeevich 08/21/1983
22. Khusainova Elena Ruslanovna 01/02/1967
23. Kharitonova Oksana Alekseevna 08/17/1971
24. Kharitonova Anastasia Leonidovna 05.11.2001
25. Sergeeva Elena Vladimirovna 05/29/1953
26. Shurko Natalya Viktorovna 08/29/1971
27. Smirnov Yuri Nikolaevich 09/12/1960
28. Simanova Margarita Arkadyevna 04/26/1962
29. Shulginova Olga Viktorovna 10/13/1980
30. Smirnova Irina Leonidovna 04/30/1966
31. Tarasova Larisa Fedorovna 10/23/1954
32. Tarasov Alexander Petrovich 07/19/1953
33. Zueva Marina Sergeevna 02/12/1990
34. Vinogradskaya Evgenia Valerievna 11/26/1986
35. Fedorova Tatyana Aleksandrovna 12/08/1979
36. Dunaeva Nina Nikolaevna 06/08/1953
37. Kim Lyudmila Viktorovna 07/04/1975
38. Alexandrov Alexander Sergeevich 07/11/1976
39. Bashakova Nadezhda Aleksandrovna 11/15/1937
40. Bespalova Galina Nikolaevna 09/16/1949
41. Podlevskikh Maria Valentinovna 03/20/1975
42. Kalinina Olga Viktorovna 12/10/1973
43. Ivleva Marina Aleksandrovna 01/10/1971
44. Semenov Alexander Petrovich 05/10/1966
45. Zorkina Anna Valerievna 03/10/1984
46. Zorkina Anna Viktorovna 08/15/1986
Murmansk region
47. Kozlova Lyubov Vladimirovna 07/01/1963
Pskov region
48. Tikhomirov Alexey Nikolaevich 05/22/1981
49. Melnikova Elena Mikhailovna 10/27/1962
50. Pikaleva Irina Georgievna 03/15/1959
51. Vitalieva Alisa Denisovna 02/28/2001
52. Vitaleva Irina Sergeevna 02/05/1978
53. Kozhemyakova Ekaterina Nikolaevna 08/19/1982
54. Kopylov Alexander Mikhailovich
55. Gorbatenko Andrey Yurievich 07/14/1980
56. Murashova Ekaterina Sergeevna 05.11.1983
Novgorod region
57. Smolenkova Tatyana Vladislavovna 04/27/1952
58. Ishchenko Irina Nikolaevna 01/31/1953
59. Galanova Elena Evgenievna 10/23/1972
60. Rostenko Natalya Nikolaevna 01/08/1959
61. Vasilyeva Marina Nikolaevna 09/01/1958
62. Gomechko Lyudmila Nikolaevna 05/25/1958
63. Lushchenko Nina Vasilievna 07/08/1955
64. Mikhailov Igor Gennadievich 08/26/1978
65. Nikolaeva Ekaterina Ivanovna 03/21/1973
66. Yasmenko Tatyana Ivanovna 07/15/1983
67. Osipov Ilya Vladimirovich 02/04/1980
68. Osipov Zakhar Ilyich 05/06/2007
69. Mozgina Lyubov Nikolaevna 12/22/1975
70. Mozgina Alisa Maksimovna 05/14/2014
71. Zamolotova Galina Nikolaevna 01/09/1953
Saint Petersburg
72. Alekseev Alexey Sergeevich 12/07/1983
73. Gerasina Vera Alekseevna 09/16/2009
74. Girin Dmitry Vladimirovich 09/23/1983
75. Glidyaev Denis Nikolaevich 01/17/1982
76. Golenkov Vladimir Lvovich 03/26/1967
77. Kalinina Evgenia Ivanovna 05/05/1951
78. Yatskova Daria Alexandrovna 09/23/1995
79. Yavsin Evgeniy Valerievich 03/02/1994
80. Bogdanova Valeria Sergeevna 11/16/1990
81. Brulo Evgeniy Alexandrovich 11/21/1966
82. Golenkova Diana Eminovna 09/02/2011
83. Golenkova Victoria Yurievna 07/14/1970
84. Golubeva Nina Valerievna 01/21/1972
85. Dementich Tatyana Viktorovna 05/07/1951
86. Elena Borisovna Dudchenko 11/28/1968
87. Korenko Lyudmila Alekseevna 04/07/1954
88. Kondrashkova Marina Vladimirovna 11/12/1990
89. Gordin Leonid Valerievich 11/27/1986
90. Grigorieva Daria Yuryevna 12/29/1991
91. Grigorieva Ekaterina Sergeevna 07/02/2003
92. Vetlugina Natalya Mikhailovna 04/08/1979
93. Fedorov Fedor Dmitrievich 02/17/2010
94. Dushechkina Valeria Andreevna 05/10/2005
95. Krasnova Yulia Sergeevna 06/15/1992
96. Ogorodova Ksenia Aleksandrovna 02/09/1982
97. Nayok Maxim Sergeevich 04/08/1988
98. Danilenko Nadezhda Eduardovna 04/18/1990
99. Fedorova Elena Vladimirovna 01/07/1975
100. Orleanskaya Irina Andreevna 01/20/1988
101. Orleansky Dmitry Sergeevich 11/27/1984
102. Rodina Elena Nikolaevna 11/01/1980
103. Sagdatullina Natalia Anatolyevna 03/05/1964
104. Sakerina Vlada Andreevna 09/11/1992
105. Sakerin Ilya Alexandrovich 05/31/1990
106. Salakhbekov Daniyal Magomednabievich 05/16/2001
107. Salakhbekova Diana Magomednabievna 03/31/2006
108. Movchanov Vladislav Igorevich 07/29/1984
109. Miller Timur Maratovich 03/22/1982
110. Maksimova Maria Vladimirovna 01/01/1974
111. Maksimov Alexander Dmitrievich 10/07/2000
112. Vera Ivanovna Lapshina 09/01/1946
113. Kurkaedova Irina Vyacheslavovna 10/27/1955
114. Krylova Svetlana Viktorovna 05/06/1985
115. Krotov Alexander Alekseevich 04/12/1979
116. Osipova Natalya Anatolyevna 02/21/1962
117. Panina* Alexandra Petrovna 03/30/1990
118. Panina Tatyana Leonidovna 12/30/1959
119. Pavlova Olga Alexandrovna 09/24/1973
120. Kovaleva Irina Aleksandrovna 09/02/1967
121. Kononirova Elena Valerievna 01/16/1985
122. Mokievskaya Tatyana Vasilievna 05/23/1988
123. Moiseeva Elena Vladimirovna 04/18/1976
124. Moiseeva Alena Andreevna 08/22/2010
125. Ponomareva Nadezhda Vladimirovna 01/17/1974
126. Gingerbread Evgeniy Andreevich 02/03/2004
127. Kurbatova Tatyana Vladimirovna 08/29/1967
128. Kulikova Yulia Vitalievna 01/16/1990
129. Pukhkaeva Elena Anatolyevna 04/26/1963
130. Krylova Kristina Mikhailovna 11/18/2005
131. Krylov Mikhail Yurievich 04.01. 1982
132. Kochkin Anton Yurievich 01/29/1967
133. Khmelevsky Dmitry Valerievich 07/10/1989
134. Savelyev Pavel Vladimirovich 07/06/1975
135. Yavsina Elizaveta Aleksandrovna 08/12/1970
136. Illarionova Alexandra Ivanovna 08/14/1987
137. Schiller Daria Viktorovna 07/23/1983
138. Shikhina Ekaterina Valerievna 03/31/1990
139. Sheina Olga Aleksandrovna 05/10/1985
140. Sheina Anastasia Yurievna 03/07/2012
141. Shein Yuri Vyacheslavovich 04/01/1977
142. Sharova Irina Mikhailovna 07/22/1977
143. Sergeeva Sofia Petrovna 03/14/1953
144. Sergeev Gennady Alekseevich 03.11.1955
145. Sergeev Alexey Vladimirovich 03/19/1951
146. Timoshenko Andrey Nikolaevich 05/20/1975
147. Ivanova Iraida Aleksandrovna 05/22/1938
148. Ivanyuk Galina Vladimirovna 12/28/1957
149. Voskresenskaya* Elvira Aleksandrovna 02/08/1987
150. Gavrikov Alexander Viktorovich 01/04/1980
151. Volzhenkova Anna Vladimirovna 05/02/1987
152. Vinnik Alexander Olegovich 02/06/2012
153. Skorodumova Lyudmila Yuryevna 09/19/1953
154. Skorodumov Viktor Alexandrovich 08/11/1951
155. Shulginov Kirill Evgenievich 05/04/2012
156. Shulginov Evgeny Vladimirovich 02/08/1979
157. Vinnik Dmitry Olegovich 09/06/2013
158. Smirnova Vera Vasilievna 09/16/1941
159. Vinnik Mariana
160. Terekhina Galina Fedorovna 11/14/1959
161. Zhimalenkov Miron Sergeevich 07/27/2013
162. Zhimalenkova Elena Vladimirovna 02/16/1986
163. Tishinskaya Anna Andreevna 10/02/1988
164. Solovyova Tatyana Mikhailovna 06/10/1957
165. Sologubova Evgenia Aleksandrovna 01/12/1990
166. Sokolova Irina Sergeevna 05/20/1986
167. Vetlugin Alexander Arkadevich 07/26/1980
168. Gaydamak Alina Nikolaevna 04/30/1988
169. Volkova Yulia Nikolaevna 04/28/1967
170. Volkov Nikolay Nikolaevich 12/12/1982
171. Volyanskaya Ekaterina Valentinovna 07/22/1992
172. Vishnev Artem Napolenovich 10/26/1988
173. Evgrafova Evgenia Andreevna 06/07/1988
174. Fedorkov Mikhail Andreevich 09/07/1988
176. Gerasina Yulia Borisovna 05/29/1973
177. Zhimalenkov Sergey Evgenievich 08/13/1983
178. Gaydamak Elena Vyacheslavovna 06/08/1965
179. Volkova Marina Vladimirovna 11/14/1965
180. Akimov Mikhail Evgenievich 05/30/1973
181. Amosov Andrey Vladimirovich 12/08/1964
182. Anikeeva Margarita Yakovleva 09/14/1949
183. Anisimov Viktor Anatolyevich 05/07/1962
184. Baglaev Pavel Vladimirovich 12/12/1960
185. Butkevich Alexander Konstantinovich 08/27/1955
186. Danilova Natalya Sergeevna 08/24/1987
187. Prusakova Svetlana Nikolaevna 12/20/1957
188. Pyatochenko Nelya Vladimirovna 01/20/1963
189. Mnatsakanov Leonid Vartanovich 11/07/1975
190. Statskaya Anastasia Vasilievna 04/27/1992
191. Kantserova Valeria Valerievna 02/21/1983
192. Pilip Alexandra Fedorovna 01/21/1968
193. Pulyanov Roman Anatolyevich 11/13/1985
194. Dobritsa Rimma Askhatovna 08/07/1971
195. Dobritsa Andrey Vladimirovich 02/18/1971
196. Sevryukova Victoria Alekseevna 01/22/1991
197. Jorgen Elena Vladimirovna 10/04/1971
198. Tikhomirova Anastasia Andreevna 06/03/1987
199. Brulo Maria Vyacheslavovna 01/28/1967
200. Domestic Elena Alexandrovna 11/15/1990
201. Kirillova Olga Vladimovich
Tambov region (Tambov)
202. Klochkov Alexey Yurievich 07/01/1989
203. Klochkova Svetlana Sergeevna 01/25/1989
Tyumen region (Tyumen)
204. Tomina Elena Vladimirovna 09/01/1969
Krasnoyarsk region
205. Plowman Anna Mikhailovna 07/11/1990
Smolensk region
206. Buleva Yulia Vyacheslavovna 07/15/1990
Altai Territory (Barnaul)
207. Maslennikova Yulia Yuryevna 03/05/1988
Perm (Volga Federal District)
208. Cossack Lyubov Vasilievna 06.11.1957
Udmurt republic
209. Shishkina Maria Andreevna 09/21/1987
Republic of Belarus
210. Seredinsky Roman Anatolyevich 06/05/1987
Republic of Ukraine
211. Sachuk Vladimir Viktorovich 06/17/1989
212. Usatova Irina Vladimirovna 02/13/1972
213. Usatov Kirill 03/15/1999
214. Movchanova Lilia 06/14/1991
Location not determined
215. Vasilyeva Lilia
216. Grigorieva Natalya
217. Ulyanov Roman Anatolyevich
October 31, 2015, flight Sharm el-Sheikh - St. Petersburg. Someone looks through photos on their phone, imagining how they will tell their family and friends about their vacation. Married couples calm down children who are acting too violently in the morning - and are probably afraid to fly. Departure was on schedule, we headed straight into the sky. The very next day, the media circulated a photo of the “main passenger” - ten-month-old Darina Gromova. This photograph will become a kind of symbol of the fateful Airbus flight 321, from which none of the 224 people returned alive.
"Flight in normal mode"
The plane took off safely and began to climb at 6:50 Moscow time. Everything is going as normal, when suddenly after 23 minutes the dispatchers lose contact with the crew.
Meanwhile, at the St. Petersburg Pulkovo airport they report that the flight is delayed “by technical reasons". Time is postponed once, they are postponed twice... In Russia, they try not to think about the worst and nervously wait for messages from relatives: about an emergency landing, or about anything, as long as they write. When the flowers have already begun to fade, and the message about the next one is lit up on the board rescheduling the flight, the nerves of the relatives could not stand it: calls began pouring in to the Kogalymavia airline and the tour operator Brisco, “We’re figuring everything out,” “Don’t worry,” people heard in different authorities.
And then came the news that flashed through everyone’s head, but they refused to believe. It was not immediately known that everyone had died. One of the rescuers who immediately moved to the scene after the crash reported that he heard the voices of passengers coming from under the wreckage of the liner. Within minutes it became clear: I hadn’t heard, it seemed.
Collage © L!FE. Photo: © RIA Novosti/Maxim Grigoriev/TASS/POOL © wikipedia.org
A photograph of ten-month-old Darina Gromova from Gatchina, taken at Pulkovo airport, seemed to have gone around all the well-known Russian media and was circulated on social networks. The photograph became one of the symbols of that terrible tragedy.
Son, Alexey, wanted to be a pilot. Only I didn’t allow it,” Darina’s grandmother Elena later told Life.
Alexey's father was a military pilot for 30 years. The young man himself graduated from a technical specialty and went to work for an IT company. Here he met Tatyana. The young people got married a little more than a year before the tragedy. The young man’s social network page, which is still accessible, contains many photos of the couple in love, taken on their wedding day.
Tatyana called her daughter “the main passenger.” Before the flight from Pulkovo, she photographed a girl who was pressing her hands against the glass and posted the picture on social networks.
Darina’s grandmother suggested that parents not take their child on the flight: he would be scared and would not tolerate it well. But they didn’t listen: the child needed to bask in the sun.
"I won't live without her"
October 31st was a tragedy for thousands of people. Svetlana Dudochkina’s husband, Anatoly, was unable to fly with his wife on vacation that time. The couple had been to Egypt more than once, so the woman knew quite well how to behave at the resort. His warning seemed even more strange.
It was the first time she went on vacation without me. I told her that if something happens, I won’t survive without her. “I don’t want to live anymore, I’m not interested,” Anatoly said after the crash.
The woman went on vacation in the company of her daughter and two young grandchildren. But the daughter decided to stay another day or two, since there was an opportunity to rest longer. As a result, only Svetlana of the whole family boarded the fateful flight.
Birthday gift
On October 27, the common-law wife of the then deputy head of Pskov, Alexandra Kopylova, celebrated her birthday. He bought trips for himself and his beloved, Elena Melnikova. They didn’t want to let me go from work, but the deputy head of the city persuaded me to do it. He argued that the reason was too weighty.
The man met his future common-law wife at work. The fact is that Elena is the head of the personnel department in the Pskov City Duma. Alexander’s wife died several years earlier, Elena was divorced. They had been together for about a year at that point.
All the time on vacation, Elena talked on social networks about how they had a very good rest - swimming, sunbathing and generally having a blast. I went online for the last time three hours before the fateful flight.
“A little more and I’ll leave aviation”
Senior flight attendant, 38-year-old Valentina Martsevich, who devoted 12 years to the sky, planned to retire from aviation in the near future. I wanted peace of mind and made plans for a calm family life. Valentina's husband, Maxim, is the commander of the aircraft. At that moment he was on a China Airlines flight.
Valentina herself is from Anapa, she was working at the Krasnodar airport when she met her future husband. Soon they moved to Moscow together. He is always on the flight, she is on the next flight. Tired of seeing my husband and family in fits and starts.
On October 5, her birthday, she flew home to hug her mother. Friends later recalled that she behaved quite strangely: she spoke strangely, smiled strangely, and took a lot of pictures.
While returning to Moscow, shortly before the fateful flight, the woman got scared for the first time in her life while boarding. She told her friends how the plane was shaking and she was afraid that the pilots would not land the plane successfully.
"Fluffy, I'm waiting"
Flight attendant Marina Okhotnikova was supposed to meet her steward husband Andrei Belomestnov at Domodedovo on November 1. The plan looked like this: Andrey lands in Pulkovo, rests, and then goes to Moscow as a passenger. 20 minutes after its arrival in the capital, it lands. The young people were planning an unforgettable weekend.
The couple had a tradition: all four years that they were together, Andrei sent his beloved SMS during such “intersections” with the same text: “Fluffy, I’m already waiting for you.” This time there was no message. Andrei was supposed to turn 30 in November...
Versions
Experts considered four main versions of the plane crash: a technical malfunction, a pilot error, that the plane was shot down, and an explosion.
Technical problem
Photo: © RIA Novosti/Maxim Grigoriev/TASS/POOL
The first version that investigators began to consider was a technical malfunction. Allegedly the liner had defects. For example, 14 years before the tragedy, in November 2001, at Cairo airport, the airliner landed unsuccessfully and hit the ground with its tail. At that time it was still owned by Middle East Airlines. After the incident, the aircraft was repaired and sold. After that, it was chartered by various airlines until it finally “settled” at Kogalymavia in 2012.
You can say whatever you want about this airline, but any aircraft of any carrier undergoes inspection before a new flight. In addition, the boards undergo technical checks. So, the engines of the airliner were examined five days before the tragedy. And it is unlikely that the experts would have missed such a significant malfunction that could have caused the plane to crash. This point of view was confirmed by the airline. In addition, experienced pilots have repeatedly said that none of the crew members would risk their own lives, but would simply refuse to fly if in doubt.
Another fact speaks against the version of a malfunction: on the eve of the crash, the Airbus was flying from Sharm el-Sheikh to Samara and back. After that, it underwent maintenance at the Egyptian airport; no critical problems were recorded.
A week after the tragedy, IAC representatives said that until the recording of the recorders stopped, the flight proceeded as usual; information about failures of the aircraft’s systems and components was not recorded on the parametric recorder.
Crew error
This version became the second. Allegedly, the pilots could panic and behave incorrectly in a critical situation. This version was refuted by the Federal Air Transport Agency on the same day. PIC Valery Nemov was originally a military pilot, and after his retirement (the man was 48 years old) he retrained as a civil aviation pilot in training center AmurAir in Turkey. His total flight experience is 3,682 hours, of which 1,100 hours were as an aircraft commander.
The co-pilot, 45-year-old Sergei Trukhachev, had 5,641 flight hours under his belt - more than the PIC. He underwent special training in the Czech Republic to fly the A321.
The version of the error was also ruled out by the Kogalymavia pilots themselves: they posted a letter on the Internet just a few hours after the tragedy, where they claimed that there could be no error. This version has priority. The media began to write that there was a bomb on board a few hours after the tragedy. Within a month, the fact of the explosion was confirmed by Russian experts. Thus, on November 16, 2015, the head of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov, at a meeting in the Kremlin, officially announced for the first time that what happened was a terrorist attack.
It was initially assumed that the bomb was planted between the passenger seats in the 30th row. However, later experts came to the conclusion that an improvised explosive device with a capacity of up to 1 kg in TNT equivalent was located in the tail section, next to the baby strollers. A timer installed in the bomb counted down how many more minutes the 224 people would live. After the explosion, the tail section of the airliner was torn off, and it went into an uncontrolled dive.
For a long time, Egyptian officials did not officially recognize the incident as a terrorist attack (according to one version, for fear of multimillion-dollar lawsuits from relatives of the victims). Cairo called for waiting for the official results of the investigation, which, by the way, are still missing. However, in February 2017, the representative of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Ahmed Abu Zeid, somewhat admitted that a terrorist attack had occurred on board.
Dozens or even hundreds of people became victims of terrorist operations, including as a result of the crash of a Russian airliner in the Sinai, he said.
* The organization is banned in Russia by decision of the Supreme Court.
A motley crowd of tourists, bright undersea world, attracting divers from all over the world - all this attracts travelers. Russians were eager to go there as if they were going to a second dacha: at least a week to rest from work and bask in the sun. Whole families flew until the plane crash in Egypt on October 31, 2015 forced the entire country to shudder.
Tragic accident
A tourist group from the Brisco company was returning on a charter flight from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg. Despite the early morning (departure at 5.50 local time), the passengers were in excellent spirits. They posted pictures of their successful vacation on social networks. It was Saturday, and on Monday many had to plunge into work; some had work, others had to study.
The Airbus A321-231 EI-ETJ airliner, which arrived from Samara, took 217 passengers on board. They and seven crew members were to be in Northern capital, where many relatives and friends were waiting at the airport. Having reached a given altitude of 9400 meters in 23 minutes, at a speed of 520 km/h the aircraft suddenly disappeared from the radar. At 6.15 (7.15 Moscow) the plane crashed in the Sinai Peninsula near El-Arish airport - the hottest spot in Egypt, where government troops were confronted by Al-Qaeda Islamists.
Versions of the tragedy
Those meeting flight 9268 at Pulkovo Airport anxiously watched the board, which displayed the information: “Arrival delayed.” And by evening, the whole country knew that the wreckage of the aircraft that had disappeared from radar had been discovered by the Egyptian authorities. Scattered over a length of 13 kilometers, with the tail section torn off, they were shown on television, which gave rise to many versions of experts about possible reasons disasters. Three were considered the most reliable:
- Technical problems associated either with engine failure or metal fatigue. In the tail section, traces of skin repair were found after the aircraft touched the asphalt with its tail while landing at Cairo airport in 2001. The resulting microcrack could cause the destruction of the aircraft as it climbed.
- The plane crash in Egypt was caused by the crew's mistakes.
- Terrorist act.
The IAC commission, headed by Egyptian representative Ayman al-Mukkadam, began working at the site of the tragedy. It included representatives of Russia, France, Germany, the USA and Ireland. After studying the evidence and decoding, the first two versions were found unfounded.
Aircraft
A321 crash over Sinai Peninsula became the largest in the history of Egypt and modern Russia. The airbus belonged to the Kogalymavia company, which underwent a thorough inspection. It was found that after the 2001 emergency, the aircraft was repaired in France at the manufacturer's plant, after which all the necessary tests were carried out. Over 18 years of operation, the airliner flew less than 50% of its service life (57,428 hours) and was in good condition. This is evidenced by weekly technical checks, the last of which was carried out on October 26, 2015. The flight recorders did not detect any system malfunction. Until the 23rd minute, the flight proceeded quite normally.
Crew
Forty-eight-year-old crew commander Valery Nemov is a graduate of SVAAULSH (Stavropol Military School). He is one of the few who, in the difficult 90s, retrained to fly on Airbuses since 2008, having 12 thousand flight hours, which testifies to his enormous experience. The co-pilot also came from military aviation, being a veteran of the Chechen campaign. After retiring, Sergei Trukhachev retrained on the A321, having undergone training in the Czech Republic. I flew them for more than 2 years. The total flight time was 6 thousand hours. Both pilots were in good standing with their airline. Nemov was even called back from vacation prematurely to be sent on the infamous flight 9268.
Official version
Two weeks after the tragedy, the version of the terrorist attack was officially voiced by the head of the FSB during a meeting with the President of the Russian Federation. To support his words, he provided the following evidence:
- American satellites recorded a thermal flash over Sinai during the disaster, which indicates an explosion occurred on board the plane.
- The fuselage fragment has a hole with a diameter of about one meter. Its edges are curved outward. This indicates that the source of the explosion was inside.
- When decoding the recorder recording the negotiations, before the recording is interrupted, extraneous noise is heard, the nature of which can be attributed to a blast wave.
- The plane crash in Egypt caused great public outcry. After a while, they not only admitted responsibility for the terrorist attack, but also posted a photo of an improvised explosive device (IED) on the pages of Dabig magazine.
- Some of the victims had injuries indicating death from the consequences of the explosion (burns, tissue ruptures).
- Traces of explosives - TNT molecules - were found in fragments of shrapnel, luggage and on the bodies of the victims.
The power of the explosion was estimated at 1 kilogram. The estimated location of the IED is the tail of the aircraft. For the blast wave moved forward, but the fracture of the fuselage prevented its further advancement.
Plane crash in Egypt: who is to blame?
After the Russian version appeared, it became known that 17 employees were detained at the Egyptian airport. The main question was one: “How did the IED get on board the airliner?” The FSB began studying the biographies of 34 passengers (11 men and 23 women) who had TNT molecules on their bodies. But official Egypt soon stated that there was no evidence for a clear statement about a terrorist attack on board the plane. None of the employees were actually arrested. Russian authorities have announced a $50 million reward for any information about the terrorists.
Only in February 2016 did the Egyptian President officially acknowledge the terrorist attack. It was discovered that the bomb was made from plasticite, which is used to create military projectiles. It is powered by a clock mechanism. The plane crash in Egypt on October 31, 2015 showed that the airport security system does not meet international standards. The IED could have gotten on board with the company supplying the products through employees with access to the runway, as well as through hand luggage during baggage check. The latest data is such that it was in the cabin in the immediate vicinity of place 31A. All these facts led to a ban on the sale of holiday tours in Egypt.
Flight passengers
EI-ETJ - the last digits of the Airbus number. According to them, the aviators called the board “Juliet” among themselves, affectionately “Dzhulka”. On that tragic morning, she broke up three aviation marriages and killed a young steward who replaced a colleague who had quit due to a bad dream. It also took the lives of 217 passengers, 25 of whom were children. Those killed in a plane crash in Egypt are entire families, dozens of destroyed love stories, babies who will never grow up. Ten-month-old Darina Gromova was on this flight with her parents. Her mother posted her photo on a social network before the flight. A girl stands at the airport facing the runway, and below is the signature: “Main Passenger.” This picture has become a symbol tragic flight, from which no one managed to return.
Almost all passengers are Russians, 4 people are citizens of Ukraine, 1 is from Belarus. The majority are residents of St. Petersburg, although there are also representatives of other regions: Pskov, Novgorod, Ulyanovsk. Those killed in the plane crash in Egypt are people of various professions. Even while relatives were busy identifying the bodies, caring people were forming a collective portrait of the passengers, collecting information about them bit by bit. A wonderful gallery was created, where there were many good words about everyone.
Almost a year later
On July 31, Moscow and St. Petersburg held a rally in memory of those killed over the Sinai. Nine months passed: many relatives received compensation, identified and buried their loved ones, but the pain did not subside. On August 5, 2016, a message was received that forty-five militants led by Abu Dua al-Ansari, through whose fault the plane crash occurred in Egypt, were killed during a military operation near El-Arish. I really want to believe that something like this will never happen again!
Exactly one year ago, a Russian plane crashed over Sinai as a result of a terrorist attack. 224 people died in the plane crash. At the site of the plane crash, our country held an unprecedented search operation, all surviving parts of the aircraft were found. investigative committee stated that he would continue the criminal case until all those involved in this terrorist act were identified. On October 31, Russia remembers the victims of this terrible tragedy.
The funeral prayer began at 07:15 - this is the time the plane hit the ground. Nadezhda Volkova lost her son Nikolai in that terrible plane crash. Together with his wife Lera, he flew to Honeymoon. They were 32, reports.
“I don’t remember how I was driving home. When I arrived, my husband was destroying everything, beating, shouting: “They are no more.” No, you understand?" But I didn’t believe it. And he said to me: “Look, the lists have arrived,” recalls Nadezhda Volkova.
Board A321 of the Kogalymavia company was operating charter flight number 9268 on the route Sharm el-Sheikh - St. Petersburg. 23 minutes after takeoff, the plane disappeared from radar. After another two hours, Egyptian Air Force aircraft discovered debris in the central Sinai Peninsula.
At the St. Petersburg Pulkovo airport, the line on the electronic display all this time was on: arrival at 12:09. Then all the relatives meeting this flight were invited to board the bus and taken away from the television cameras. This is how the morning of October 31, 2015 began. In the evening, people brought flowers to the Arrival terminal.
The plane crash over Sinai killed 224 people, including seven crew members and 25 children. Almost all passengers were residents of St. Petersburg and Leningrad region. The crash of the A321 aircraft became the largest mass death of Russian citizens in a plane crash in the history of world aviation and biggest disaster in the history of Egypt.
An international investigation into the causes of the tragedy is still ongoing. Preliminary results will be announced before the end of the year. Russian news agencies reported this last Thursday with reference to Egyptian media. Representatives of Russia, Egypt, France, Germany, Ireland, the USA, as well as consultants from Airbus Industry are taking part in the investigation.
“There is a general version, which has already become the main one, that terrorists from the Egyptian IS cell are behind the disaster over the Sinai Peninsula ( The organization's activities are prohibited in Russia - editor's note.),” said Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine and director of the Center for Analysis of the Global Arms Trade.
An explosive device was planted in luggage right at Sharm el-Sheikh airport. It went off in the air. The airliner fell from a height of almost 10 thousand meters, and flew in a downward arc, losing altitude, at a speed of 30 meters per second. In Russia, the version of the explosion on board the A321 of an improvised explosive device with a capacity of up to a kilogram of TNT was officially announced on November 16, 2015 at a meeting with the president.
Egyptian authorities have become the latest to officially acknowledge the death of the airliner. terrorist act. The Egyptian president first publicly stated this only in February, four months after the plane crash.
“For Egypt, the recognition of the organization of a terrorist attack of this kind, associated with the movement of tourists, is a disaster for the tourism sector. In fact, this is what is happening today in Egypt. Whole year they are trying to restore the tourist flow, which is the main component Egyptian economy", explained the director of the International Institute of Modern States, political scientist Alexey Martynov.