First Tragic Impressions

It remains to be seen whether technical problems were responsible, but a Russian plane on a demonstration run over Indonesia disappeared and it was unclear what had occurred.  It is still as yet unclear what happened, but the worst fears have been realized; there are no survivors.  Contact was lost with the Sukhoi Superjet 100 just 20 minutes after takeoff in Jakarta.

On board were five Russian crew, three staff of the Russian manufacturer, Sukhoi, and 42 foreign passengers, among them representatives of the Indonesian airlines expressing interest in ordering the jet.  This was the fourth of a six-stage Asian sales tour for the plane.  Burma, Pakistan and Kazakhstan had already been visited, and the plane's attributes and technology showcased there.

The plane disappeared from radar screens 65 kilometres from Jakarta, after requesting permission to descend from 10,000 to 6,000 feet. It suddenly, peculiarly, seemed to vanish, with no communication, near Mount Salak, a 7,2540-foot volcano located in West Java.  In Jakarta, authorities mused about the possibility of a hijacking.

Search and rescue teams and helicopters were dispatched, but in the face of bad weather the search was complicated, along with the fact that the area in question is mountainous. 

The Superjet 100, meant to carry 75 to 95 passengers was designed as a competitor to Brazil's Embraer and Canada's Bombardier-built jets.  It represents the sole Russian civil aircraft in production, made by United Aircraft Corporation, a domestic conglomerate launched by President Vladimir Putin in 2006, to advance the interests of the country.

Western design advice and technology went into its design, from Boeing and Italy's Finmeccanica.  France aerospace firms Thales and Safran supplied avionics and engine equipment.  All 50 on board this demonstration flight have perished.

A most inauspicious beginning to the re-presidential inauguration of Vladimir Putin.  Where, in Moscow, in celebration of Victory in Europe day, a military parade showcasing new Russian technology and weaponry took place with great fanfair on Red Square.