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Russian Jet Vanishes Mid-Flight

It may have crashed or been hijacked: Indonesian officials

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted May 9, 2012 7:00 AM CDT | Updated May 9, 2012 7:53 AM CDT

(Newser) – A Russian Sukhoi SuperJet-100 disappeared during a demonstration flight in Indonesia today, vanishing from radar screens while it was still at high altitudes and failing to land at its appointed time. The plane was last heard from when it requested, and was granted, permission to descend from 10,000 feet to 6,000 feet, Russia Today reports. Indonesian officials say it may have crashed—there's a 6,200-foot-tall mountain in the area—or it may have been hijacked.

The plane must have come down somewhere, because by its scheduled landing time, its fuel supply should have been exhausted. There were 44 people onboard, most of them reps from major airline companies, and so far none of them can be reached by phone.

A Sukhoi Superjet 100 performs at  an air show in Zhukovsky, Russia, Aug. 18, 2009.
A Sukhoi Superjet 100 performs at an air show in Zhukovsky, Russia, Aug. 18, 2009.   (AP Photo / Misha Japaridze, file)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 20 comments
Scaramouche
May 9, 2012 4:02 PM CDT
"There were 44 people onboard, most of them reps from major airline companies, and so far none of them can be reached by phone." Irony, that.
GenericLeftist
May 9, 2012 11:44 AM CDT
 As usual Newser will not do a follow up story, they will leave us going; "WTF".
BigBear67
May 9, 2012 10:28 AM CDT
I'm thinking giving approval to descend from 10,000 to 6,000 feet when there was a 6,200 foot mountain peak in the area just ~may~ have been a contributing factor.
 

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