Two People Killed After Aircraft Breaks Apart

The safety and maintenance of aircraft has once again been brought into question following a plane crash at Domodedovo Airport in Moscow, aviation law specialists have suggested.

Russian authorities have revealed that two people were killed and more than 80 others were injured in the incident, which saw the Tupolev TU-154 overshoot the runway while making an emergency landing at the site.

The Dagestan Airlines plane broke apart during the crash and it is believed that all three of the engines on the aircraft had failed by the time it hit the ground.

Investigations are now underway to discover the cause of the engine failure on the aircraft and Clive Garner, head of Irwin Mitchell’s Aviation Law team, has urged authorities to work quickly.

He said: “News of this tragic incident is deeply concerning, particularly the reports which focus on the failure of the plane’s engines.

“Sadly this is the latest fatal plane crash that the Tupolev TU-154 model has been involved in over recent years and the fourth in 2010 alone.”

One of the most high-profile previous crashes involving this model of aircraft took place in April. Tragically, all 96 people on board a Polish Air Force-operated Tupolev 154M - including the country’s president Lech Kaczynski - died when the plane crashed while on approach to Smolensk Air Base in foggy conditions.

Commenting on the Moscow crash, Clive Garner added: “It is vital that investigators work quickly to discover what caused this latest crash. The findings will then have to be considered in relation to other Tupolev 154 aircraft and indeed any other aircraft if there is any possibility of common problems occurring. Clearly all possible steps must be taken to safeguard future passengers.

"Meanwhile, our thoughts are with those who suffered injury in Moscow and with those who sadly lost friends and family in the incident."