Rome News-Tribune

Russian jet airliner crashes, killing 71

- By Jim Heintz Associated Press

MOSCOW — A Russian airliner that had just taken off from the country’s second-busiest airport crashed Sunday, killing all 71 people aboard and scattering jagged chunks of wreckage across a snowy field outside Moscow.

The pilots of the An-148 regional jet did not report any problems before the twin-engine aircraft plunged into the field about 25 miles from Domodedovo Airport, authoritie­s said.

The Saratov Airlines flight disappeare­d from radar just minutes after departure for the city of Orsk, some Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations photo via AP 1,000 miles to the southeast.

Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov confirmed that there were no survivors.

The 65 passengers ranged in age from 5 to 79, according to a list posted by the Russian Emergencie­s Ministry, which did not give their nationalit­ies. Six crew members were also aboard.

Emergency workers combed through the field while investigat­ors descended on the airport to search for clues to what brought the jet down. One of the flight recorders was recovered, Russian news reports said, but it was not immediatel­y clear if it was the data or voice recorder.

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