Lack of de-icing was the cause of the Yak-40 crash in March.

Published: 3/23/2000

Investigations by MAK Interstate Aviation Committee into the crash of the Yak-40 on 9th March have cited the lack of de-icing as the main cause of the incident. Although the Committee has also reported that the flap position of the plane did not meet requirements, the main reason for the crash was that the private jet had not been treated with de-icing liquid before takeoff. Ice severely affects the aerodynamics of a plane leading to uncontrollable listing once airborne. The chartered Yak-40 crashed shortly after taking off from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and the victims included the prominent journalist Artyom Borovik and Ziya Bazhayev, President of the Oil Alliance Company. Because of rumours that Chechnya-born Bazhayev had been resisting pressure to support Chechen rebels fighting Russian troops, initially there was wide speculation that the plane had been sabotaged. Officials have said that bombing had been ruled out but sabotage had not been totally excluded.

Article ID: 1727