Two engines of a Dagestan-bound Tupolev-154 plane that crashed on Saturday at Moscow's Domodedovo airport, killing two and injuring over 80 people turned off at a height of about 9 kilometers, when one continued to function until landing after a period of unstable operation, the Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) said.
The MAK carried out preliminary decoding of the flight recordings. Earlier reports said that all three engines failed.
The engines of the Dagestan Airlines' Tu-154 plane successively failed several minutes after it took off from Moscow's Vnukovo Airport for Makhachkala, the capital of the Russian North Caucasus republic of Dagestan. During the emergency landing, the plane skidded off the runway and broke into pieces.
There were a total of 163 passengers and nine crewmembers aboard the troubled jet.
"Preliminary analysis of records showed that during the period from 14:00 to 14:02 Moscow time (from 11:00 to 11:02 GMT) (according to the parametric recorder) crew launched the aircraft engines. Approximately 19.5 tons of fuel were on board. Take-off was made at 14:08 Moscow time (11:08 GMT). Fluctuations in the supply of fuel for all three engines have begun to register at a height of about 6500 meters around 14:16 (11:16)," the statement said.
"At a height of about 9000 meters the first and the third engines turned off, then the crew began an emergency landing," the statement continued. "After a period of unstable operation the second engine was restored and operated until the landing of the aircraft."
The investigation continues.
Five passengers of the plane are in grave condition, Russia's Health Ministry said on Sunday.
Dagestani president's brother Gadzhimurad Magomedov, who was on board the plane and received serious injuries as a result of the accident, died in hospital late on Saturday, according to a source in the Dagestani government.
Dagestani Justice Minister Azadi Ragimov was also aboard the troubled jet and received some grave injuries in the incident. He is receiving medical treatment at a Moscow hospital, the source said.
The Dagestani authorities have pledged to pay 250,000 rubles (about $8,300) to the relatives of the victims. Those seriously injured in the accident will be paid 100,000 rubles (about $3,300), moderately injured people will get 50,000 rubles (about $1,600), and 30,000 rubles (about $1,000) will be allocated to those with minor injuries.
MOSCOW, December 5 (RIA Novosti)
