  Russian Air Force Commander: Weather Caused A-320 CrashMay 16, 2006 - 17:31 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The catastrophe of the Armenian airbus near Sochi was a result of the pilots not taking into account hard weather conditions, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, Army General Vladimir Mikhailov stated. «They did not take into account weather conditions. The weather caused it. We will get the airborne recorders, decode them and it will be confirmed,» Mikhailov said. «Commander's decision to return means it was necessary to return. Decisions should never be changed. This results in serious consequences,» the Commander-in-Chief said.Mikhailov added that Russian military specialists, including those of the 13th State Research Institute of the Russian Defense Ministry, are ready to assist in decoding of the flight recorders, Russian media report. On the night of May 3 A-320 plane of Armavia Armenian air company, flying from Yerevan to Sochi, crashed in the Black Sea 6 km away from Adler airport. All 113 passengers, including 6 children and 8 members of the crew, died as a result. Among them were 26 Russian citizens, one Ukrainian and one Georgian citizen, while the rest were Armenian citizens.   Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Related sections Topic Latest news Court in Azerbaijan extends former Karabakh leader’s arrest by 5 months  The Binagadi District Court in Azerbaijan has granted the prosecutor’s petition to extend the arrest of Arkady Ghukasyan.Ucom General Director joins High-Tech Development Panel Discussion The discussion was titled "The Role of International Corporations and Investors as Catalysts for Development of High-Tech Ecosystem."U.S. still believes “peace is possible” between Armenia, Azerbaijan The United States continues to believe that peace is possible between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Vedant Patel says.Dozens detained as antigovernment protest continue in Armenia At least 63 people demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation were detained on May 14 as they blocked streets in Yerevan. |
