It's being reported that a Sukhoi Superjet has disappeared during a demonstration flight in Indonesia, during an Asian sales tour for the aircraft.
According to reports, the aircraft had left for what was to have been a 30 minute demonstration flight; after 3 hours (by which time fuel should have been exhausted), the alarm was raised.
It got permission to descend from an altitude of 10,000 feet down to 6,000, moving downwards in a rightward direction. According to the official, there is a 6,200 foot-high mountain in the area where the plane went missing.
The last RCOM was a pilot's request to descent from 3000 meteres to 2000 meteres in the area where mountains with height in excess of 2000 meters.
Quote:
Известно, что лайнер пропал с радаров после запроса на снижение с 3 тысяч до 2 тысяч метров. Самолет в этот момент находился на расстоянии порядка 100 километров от аэропорта. Известно, что в районе снижения самолета была гора, высота которой составляет свыше 2 тысяч метров.
By Simon Hradecky, created Wednesday, May 9th 2012 10:31Z, last updated Wednesday, May 9th 2012 11:03Z A Sukhoi Sukhoi Superjet 100-95, registration RA-97004 performing a demonstration flight from Jakarta Halim Perdanakusuma Airport to Jakarta Halim Perdanakusuma Airport (Indonesia) with 36 passengers, 6 crew and 2 Sukhoi officials, was enroute near Mount Salak and Bogor about 36nm south of Jakarta about 30 minutes into the flight when the radio contact with the aircraft was lost. The aircraft has not turned up at Jakarta or any other airport in the area and would have run out of fuel by now.
No ELT signal has been located so far.
Indonesian Authorities reported the aircraft was enroute at 10,000 feet near Mount Salak when at about 15:30L (08:30Z) the crew requested and was cleared to descend to 6,000 feet. This proved to be the last radio transmission. Radar contact was lost when the aircraft was in a right hand turn descending through 6,200 feet. A search operation has been initiated and is mounting, first search flights have not yet found any trace of the aircraft.
Mount Salak is 2,211 meters/7254 feet high.
The local weatherstation in Bogor reported visibility at 9000 meters (increasing to 10000 meters in the next reading), temperature at 31 degrees C, dew point at 25 degrees C, humidity 70% and winds arund 5 knots from northeast, no precipitation. In the morning the weatherstation had reported low visibility around about 2000 meters.
PS from me: Dolya mentioned that there was low clouds the whole day.
the Russian Embassy’s press attaché, Dmitri Solodov told the Post that the aircraft was on its second demo flight when its signal was lost from the radar.
He said that there were 46 people onboard the airliner including eight Russians. The passengers are believed to be members of the media.
Pakistan may buy new Sukhoi superjets Moscow, May 9 2012, (IANS/RIA Novosti):
Pakistan's Air Indus airline has shown interest in buying eight Sukhoi Superjet 100 airplanes, the Russian manufacturer said Wednesday.
"The client is interested in purchasing eight new SSJ-100 planes, and get three of them in 2013," Sukhoi Civil Aircraft senior vice president Igor Syrtsov said.
Russia will export 10 SSJ-100 airplanes in 2012. The planes will be delivered to Mexico, Indonesia, and Laos in the second half of the year. One plane has been exported this year to Armenia.
The Superjet 100 is a medium-haul passenger aircraft developed by Sukhoi in cooperation with US and European aviation corporations, including Boeing, Snecma, Thales, Messier Dowty, Liebherr Aerospace and Honeywell.
The aircraft is capable of carrying up to 100 passengers for up to 4,500 km. Sukhoi has received over 200 firm orders for Superjet 100 airliners so far.
