Coordinates: 55°17′59″N 38°23′25″E

Saratov Airlines Flight 703

Saratov Airlines Flight 703 (6W703/SOV703)[a] was a domestic passenger flight
Saratov Airlines Flight 703
from Moscow Domodedovo Airport to Orsk Airport. On 11 February 2018, the
aircraft serving the flight, an Antonov An-148-100B, crashed shortly after take-off,
killing all 65 passengers and six crew members aboard.

Contents
RA-61704, the aircraft involved in
Aircraft the crash seen at Domodedovo
Accident International Airport in May 2017.
Passengers and crew Accident summary
Investigation Date 11 February 2018
Aftermath Summary Unknown, under
Notes investigation

References Site near

Stepanovskoye,
External links
Moscow Oblast
55°17′59″N
38°23′25″E
Aircraft Passengers 65
Crew 6
The accident aircraft was an Antonov An-148-100B, registration RA-61704, MSN
27015040004, powered by two Progress D-436 engines. It first flew in May 2010
Fatalities 71 (all)
and was registered to Rossiya Airlines on 23 June 2010. It had been involved in two Survivors 0
previous minor incidents in service; an engine was shut down on 28 July 2013 after Aircraft type Antonov An-148-
it surged in flight, and it suffered a nose wheel failure on take-off on 23 August 100B
2013. The aircraft had been leased bySaratov Airlines since 8 February 2017.[1] Operator Saratov Airlines
Registration RA-61704

Accident Flight origin Domodedovo

International
The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from Moscow's Airport, Moscow,
Domodedovo International Airport to Orsk Airport in Orenburg, a city near the Russia
border of Kazakhstan. The flight was carried out by Russian regional airliner
Saratov Destination Orsk Airport, Orsk,
Airlines, which was based in Saratov Oblast, carrying 65 passengers and 6 crew Russia
members. The take-off from Moscow was expected at 02:00 p.m. Flight 703 took off
from Moscow at 02:24 p.m.[2]

Several minutes after taking off from Moscow, the aircraft's speed and altitude started to fluctuate. Moments before the crash, Flight
703 had gained an altitude of 1,800 meters and an airspeed of 600 km/h. It then dived down, losing altitude rapidly until it finally
[2]
disappeared from the radar at an altitude of 900 meters.

The aircraft crashed near Argunovo and Stepanovskoye, villages in Ramensky District, Moscow Oblast.[3][4] The accident occurred
six minutes after take-off from Domodedovo Airport, Moscow, on a domestic scheduled passenger flight to Orsk Airport, Russia, at
14:27 local time (11:27 UTC).[5] According to a source inside the investigation, a few minutes before the crash the pilot of the
aircraft told air traffic controllers about a malfunction and had to make an emergency landing in Zhukovsky. This report was later
dismissed by the investigation committee. [6] Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft was in flames during its descent to earth.[7] The
crash was caught by a surveillance camera in a nearby house. The footage
showed that the aircraft slammed onto terrain and immediately exploded into
.[8]
flames. It also showed that the visibility in the area was poor

The Russian prosecutor's office launched criminal proceedings for suspected

violations of air traffic safety rules. They found reports that the airliner had been
banned from operating international routes in 2015 and had resumed operation
after it changed its policy in 2016. Rostransnadzor stated that during their
examination on the accident aircraft, the airliner had violated the procedure of
. [9]
the oil change in the gearboxes and the washing of the air starter filter

The crash followed a year of zero fatalities on commercial passenger jets. The
last fatal commercial passenger jet crash was the crash of LaMia Flight 2933, [Full screen]
which killed the majority of the players and coaches of the Chapecoense football
Flight 703’s flight route.
team.[10][11]

Passengers and crew

According to the flight manifest, Flight 703 was carrying 65 passengers and 6 crew
members. Among the 65 passengers were three children. Most of the passengers
were residents of Orenburg. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situation stated
that most of the passengers were Russian citizens, while citizens from Azerbaijan
and Switzerland were also on board.[12][3][4][13][14][7][5] All the people on board Altitude and speed of Saratov
Airlines Flight 703
were killed.[15][16][17] Rescue workers reached the site 2.5 hours after the crash.
[5]

The pilot of the flight was identified by authorities as 51-year old Valery Ivanovich
Gubanov.[12] He graduated from Tambov Higher Military Aviation School. At the
time of the crash, he had an accumulated total flying time of 5,000 hours, of which
2,800 were on the Antonov An-148. The co-pilot was identified as 35-year old
Sergey Arsenovich Gambaryan.[12]

Investigation
The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (Russian: Межгосударственный
Flight route of Saratov Airlines Flight
авиационный комитет, МАК) opened an investigation into the accident.[18] 703
Russian President Vladimir Putin also set up a special commission to investigate the
crash. Within the first few hours of the investigation, the Ministry of Transport
[14]
announced several theories regarding the crash, including weather conditions and human factors.

The crash site of Flight 703 was scattered in a wide area. Officials stated that the radius of the crash site area was about one
kilometer, which added suspicion that the aircraft possibly had disintegrated in mid-flight. A bomb theory was put forward by several
investigators. However, analysis from the crash site concluded that no traces of explosives were found in the wreckage.[8] One black
box was found.[5][19]

The office of Saratov Airlines was raided in response to the disaster. The crash has also caused the Russian Emergency Ministry to
discuss whether all Antonov An-148's should be grounded temporarily. BBC Russia reported that several Saratov Airlines' flights
were stopped in response to the crash. Personnel inDomodedovo International Airportwere also interrogated.[20]

Russian RNS reported that the pilot of Flight 703, Captain Gubanov, had refused to undergo a de-icing procedure before the
departure.[21]
Aftermath
A crisis centre was set up at Orsk Airport, where relatives of the victims were transported. Monday, February 12 was designated as a
day of mourning by the Orenburg Government.[22][23] The head of the Russian Ministry of Labor, Maxim Topilin, stated that all
relatives of the victims would be given 2 million rubles (about US$35,000) each. Russian President Vladimir Putin cancelled his trip
[24]
to Sochi in response to the disaster. The government stated that he would coordinate with the special commission he had set up.

Notes
a. 6W is the IATA designator and SOV is the ICAO airline designator.

References
1. "RA-61704 Accident description"(https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20180211-0). Aviation Safety
Network. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20180211173053/https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id
=20180211-0) from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
2. "«Коммерсантъ» назвал возможные причины крушения Ан-148" (https://tvrain.ru/news/an-457353/?utm_source=t
wi&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=instant&utm_content=tvrain-main#0_8___985_0) (in Russian). tvrain.ru.
Retrieved 12 February 2018.
3. "Plane with 71 on board goes missing after taking off from Moscow" (https://www.rt.com/news/418466-passenger-jet-
missing-russia/). Russia Today. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20180211124528/https://www .rt.com/news/41
8466-passenger-jet-missing-russia/)from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
4. Luhn, Alec; Rothwell, James (11 February 2018)."71 feared dead as Russian plane crashes near Moscow"(http://w
ww.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/11/russian-plane-crashes-taking-moscow/). The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235 (http
s://www.worldcat.org/issn/0307-1235). Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20180211125425/http://www
.telegraph.
co.uk/news/2018/02/11/russian-plane-crashes-taking-moscow/)from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved
11 February 2018.
5. "V Rusku se zřítilo letadlo se 71 lidmi, nehodu nikdo nepřežil"(https://zpravy.idnes.cz/rusko-letadlo-se-zritilo-an-148-
moskva-dsd-/zahranicni.aspx?c=A180211_133912_zahranicni_kha)[In Russia, an airplane crashed with 71 people,
no one survived the accident] (in Czech). Zprávy-Idnes.Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20180211173054/http
s://zpravy.idnes.cz/rusko-letadlo-se-zritilo-an-148-moskva-dsd-/zahranicni.aspx?c=A180211_133912_zahranicni_kh
a) from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
6. "Разбившийся Ан-148 шел на аварийную посадку. LIVE" (https://www.gazeta.ru/social/2018/02/11/11645863.shtm
l) ["The terrorist act can not be ruled out": the An-148 crashed. LIVE].Газета.Ru (in Russian). Gazeta. Archived (htt
ps://web.archive.org/web/20180211173054/https://www .gazeta.ru/social/2018/02/11/11645863.shtml)from the
original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
7. Taylor, Rebecca. "All 71 on crashed Russian plane are killed"(https://news.sky.com/story/plane-carrying-71-people-d
isappears-from-radar-after-take-off-from-moscow-11246077). Sky News. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2018
0211133324/https://news.sky.com/story/plane-carrying-71-people-disappears-from-radar-after-take-of f-from-moscow
-11246077) from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
8. "Опубликовано видео крушения Ан-148 в Подмосковье" (https://tvrain.ru/news/opublikovano_video_krushenija_a
n_148_v_podmoskove-457352/?utm_source=twi&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=news&utm_term=457352)
(in Russian). tvrain.ru. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
9. "СК возбудил дело после крушения Ан-148 в Подмосковье" (https://ria.ru/incidents/20180211/1514401784.html)
.
РИА Новости (in Russian). 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
10. Shepardson, David (1 January 2018)."2017 safest year on record for commercial passenger air travel: groups" (http
s://www.reuters.com/article/us-aviation-safety/2017-safest-year-on-record-for-commercial-passenger-air-travel-group
s-idUSKBN1EQ17L). www.reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
11. Reed, David (3 January 2018)."Nobody Died In Commercial Jet Crashes In 2017: Good News, But Not As Good As
You Might Think" (https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielreed/2018/01/03/nobody-died-in-commercial-jet-crashes-in-20
17-good-news-but-not-as-good-as-you-might-think/#567ab7311644) . www.forbes.com. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
12. "У командира упавшего Ана было пять тысяч часов налета" (http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=2986447)(in
Russian). Vesti.ru. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
13. "Московская межрегиональная транспортная прокуратура проводит проверку в связи с падением самолета"
(https://web.archive.org/web/20180211173054/http://www .mmtproc.ru/news/1/11257/)[Moscow interregional
transport prosecutor's office conducts an inspection in connection with the fall of the aircraft] (in Russian). Moscow
interregional transport prosecutor's office. 11 February 2018. Archived fromthe original (http://www.mmtproc.ru/new
s/1/11257/) on 11 February 2018.
14. "Interfax news – Interfax"(http://www.interfax.com/news.asp?y=2018&m=2&d=11). www.interfax.com. Archived (http
s://web.archive.org/web/20180211000359/http://www .interfax.com/news.asp?y=2018&m=2&d=11)from the original
on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
15. "Russian jet 'crashes' after Moscow take-off" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43024235). BBC News
Online. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20180211123346/http://www .bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43024235)
from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
16. "Russian Jet Crashes Near Moscow, All 71 Aboard Feared Dead" (https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-saratov-airlines-pas
senger-jet-disappears-from-radar-crash-update/29033328.html) . RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Archived (https://w
eb.archive.org/web/20180211173053/https://www .rferl.org/a/russia-saratov-airlines-passenger-jet-disappears-from-r
adar-crash-update/29033328.html)from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
17. Josephs, Matt; Clinch, Leslie (11 February 2018)."Russian airliner crashes near Moscow, killing all 71 people on
board" (https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/11/passenger-airliner-crashes-near-moscow-russian-news-agencies-report.ht
ml). CNBC. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20180211173053/https://www .cnbc.com/2018/02/11/passenger-ai
rliner-crashes-near-moscow-russian-news-agencies-report.html)from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved
11 February 2018.
18. "Ан-148-100B RA-61704 11.02.2018"(http://mak-iac.org/rassledovaniya/an-148-100b-ra-61704-11-02-2018/) [Аn-
148-100B RA-61704 11.02.2018] (in Russian). Interstate A
viation Committee. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
19. "Black box and 2 bodies recovered from site of plane crash near Moscow"
(https://www.rt.com/news/418481-black-b
ox-bodies-found/). RT International. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
20. "Что известно о крушении Ан-148 в Подмосковье" (http://www.bbc.com/russian/features-43025151) (in Russian).
BBC Russian. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
21. "RNS: Ан-148 перед полетом не прошел обработку от обледенения" (https://tvrain.ru/news/rns_an_148_pered_p
oletom-457344/?utm_term=457344&utm_source=twi&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=instant&utm_content=tvr
ain-main#0_8__12419_985_0)(in Russian). tvrain.ru. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
22. "Разбившимся Ан-148 управлял опытный пилот" (https://ria.ru/incidents/20180211/1514411510.html?utm_source
=push&utm_medium=browser_notification&utm_campaign=ria.ru)(in Russian). RIA-Novosti. Retrieved 12 February
2018.
23. "Авиакатастрофа под Москвой: хроника событий" (http://www.bbc.com/russian/live/news-43024266) (in Russian).
BBC Russian. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
24. "В Подмосковье разбился пассажирский самолет Ан-148. Хроника" (https://www.novayagazeta.ru/articles/2018/0
2/11/75472-v-podmoskovie-razbilsya-passazhirskiy-samolet-an-148-onlayn)
. Novaya Gazeta. Retrieved 12 February
2018.

External links
"Ан-148-100B RA-61704 11.02.2018." - Interstate Aviation Committee (in Russian)
EMERCOM

"List of passengers and crew of Antonov An-148 flight 6W703 Domodedovo - Orsk
."
"Jet crash in Ramenskoye District, Moscow Region."

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