Top Russian Investigator Flags FlyDubai Crash as Special Case

Russia’s chief investigator Alexander Bastrykin held an emergency meeting in Rostov-on-Don on Sunday where he ordered the Investigative Committee to prioritize the case of FlyDubai’s Boeing crash, Committee's spokesman Vladimir Markin said in a statement.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) —On Saturday, FlyDubai Boeing 737-800 plane coming from Dubai crashed while attempting landing amid poor weather conditions at the Rostov-on-Don Airport (ROV). All people on board, including 55 passengers and seven crew members, died in the crash.

"During his visit to the crash site, Alexander Bastrykin inspected the work of a team of criminal investigators… and made several orders, including handing the criminal case over to the Investigative Committee’s department dealing with particularly important cases for further investigation," Markin's statement read.

So far, the Committee's investigators have interviewed more than 40 people, including relatives of the crash victims, airport staff, air traffic controllers, and representatives of the UAE-based FlyDubai low cost carrier, as well as experts from the Rostov Meteorological Center, Markin added.

The Investigative Committee has been working to determine the cause of the crash together with Moscow-based Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC or MAK). They are expected to be joined by foreign experts from US state transportation agencies, the United Arab Emirates and France.