Main Investigations Directorate of Russia’s Investigative Committee continues investigating a criminal case opened over a crash of an ATR passenger plane in the morning of 2 April 2012 near the village of Gorkovka, Tyumen Region, approximately within 3-5 km from the runway. The criminal case was launched over signs of a crime under part 3 of article 263 of the RF Criminal Code (violation of safety and operation rules of air transport entailing by negligence death of two or more people).

We remind that the plane travelling Tyumen-Surgut was carrying 39 passengers and 4 crewmembers. Investigators have found out that during a take-off the plane deviated 150 degrees to the right and was forced to land with a left-side list. Doing this the plane touched the land with its left engine and fell apart. 33 people were killed in the accident, 10 more were injured.

According to one of the versions the cause of the accident was the fact that the contracting organization OOO YUTair-Technic (LLC) did not carry out the procedure on protecting the plane from land icing which is provided by the established rules for operation of air transport. The plane was in an open air for the whole night with the temperature from 1 to -2 degrees C and precipitation. The following morning staffers of YUTair-Technic did not examined the plane and permitted it to fly with obvious signs of icing. Violating the flight regulations the captain of the aircraft did not examined the plane either and decided to fly with the signs of icing. In addition, during the inquiry the investigators are going to give legal evaluation to the actions of the staff of Tyumen Inter-Regional Air Transport Directorate of the Federal Air Transport Agency who are in charge of control over the staff performing technical maintenance of air crafts to meet the requirements of Federal Aviation Staff Rules.

At present a comprehensive air and technical expert examination is under way, the conclusion of which will be based on scientifically based decision of the International Aviation Committee. As the owner of the ATR-72 is the Bermudas, the manufacturer – France and the operator – the Russian Federation, the conclusion of the International Aviation Commission is now under trilateral reconciliation. Based on the results of the forensic expert examination and decision of the International Aviation Committee the responsible persons will be prosecuted.