Flydubai shot down?

[Hawkmoon]

Has anyone watched the video of the Flydubai plane that crashed in southern Russia?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlqlRZmz5QU

From that video, it appears that the plane was already on fire before it hit the ground, and it was coming in at about a 45 degree angle or steeper -- that wasn't a landing approach, that was a crash dive.

[vaskidmark]

Merely pilot error - running out of sky short of the runway.  [/sarcasm]

Someone tried to explain the flames as the jet exhaust seen in the dark.  I buy that as much as I bought the sparks and the smoke curling up from the exterior shots in the original "Flash Gordon" movie.  I mean, there is just so much suspension of disbelief one can do without admitting to be a Democrat.

stay safe.

[Fly320s]

Flames do not equate to exhaust.  Unless you have an afterburner.  Or you're on fire.

[vaskidmark]

Flames do not equate to exhaust.  Unless you have an afterburner.  Or you're on fire.

Tell that to the special effects guys who worked on "Flash Gordon".

stay safe.

[Hawkmoon]

Merely pilot error - running out of sky short of the runway.  [/sarcasm]

It was still a pretty steep descent. It would have taken one helluva flare-out to avoid making that bird into a 737-800 pancake.

My guess is bomb on board.

[BobR]

I think it is just one or more...either stbd wingtip or tail position light showing through the trees as you see the final seconds of a high angle of attack stall. I know. Not enough tinfoil.  


eta: After looking at it on a real computer and not the phone I am leaning more toward saying it is the starboard (right side if looking from the flat end to the pointy end) wingtip light and a combination of light through the trees and crappy lens that may have moisture on it.

That's my take on it.

bob

[Hawkmoon]

I think it is just one or more...either stbd wingtip or tail position light showing through the trees as you see the final seconds of a high angle of attack stall. I know. Not enough tinfoil.  


eta: After looking at it on a real computer and not the phone I am leaning more toward saying it is the starboard (right side if looking from the flat end to the pointy end) wingtip light and a combination of light through the trees and crappy lens that may have moisture on it.

That's my take on it.

Multiple articles report that eyewitnesses say it was on fire before it hit the ground.

If that was the starboard wingtip navigation light -- that's one helluva bright navigation light.

[dogmush]

Lots of stuff other then missiles can cause a plane to catch fire and crash however.

[BobR]

Well, look at the bright side, it won't take forever to find the black (orange but now probably blackened) boxes to see things like flight control position, speed, and stick position.

bob

[Hawkmoon]

Well, look at the bright side, it won't take forever to find the black (orange but now probably blackened) boxes to see things like flight control position, speed, and stick position.

Yeah -- from the look of some of the photos on the scene, they didn't even have to take anything apart to get at the "black" boxes -- the plane pretty much self-destructed on impact.

The black boxes have already been recovered, BTW.

Just about 15 years ago I landed at that airport -- in a blizzard. YIKES!

[230RN]

Looked like a steep descent, but I guess that could be an artifact of the angles.  No info on camera angle WRT the runway.

They said it hit tail first.  I guess the pilot was trying to pull out?

I heard the audio picked up from somewhere, but they devolved to Russian about 3/4 of the way through.  I thought I heard a "Wow" in the middle of some Russian lingo. which I've also heard on those Russian car crash vids, so I guess it entered the Russian language.  I also heard a cell phone handshaking with a tower in the recording.

The wind was 22 M/sec (~50 MPH) but I did not catch whether that was crosswind or what.  

[Jamisjockey]

Lots of stuff other then missiles can cause a plane to catch fire and crash however.

This.