Russia US relations

A Tupelov 154 similar to the jet that disappeared from radar 20 minutes into flight with at least 80 Russian military personnel present. — A Tupelov 154 similar to the jet that has crashed in the Black Sea with 92 people aboard. (Source)

Google earth image with some of the key landmarks adjacent to the site of the TU154 crash, the crash area is far closer to the coast than indicated because if placed in the correct spot it would be right on top of the airport. — Google earth image with some of the key landmarks adjacent to the site of the TU154 crash, the crash area is far closer to the coast than indicated because if placed in the correct spot it would be on top of the airport.

December 25th, 2016.

Russian Military Jet Crashes in the Black Sea-at least 90 Presumed Dead.

A Russian Tupelov 154 military transport aircraft has crashed in the Black Sea minutes after takeoff from Sochi bound for Syria. Russian law enforcement sources are quoted as stating the plane:

“crashed in the sea seven minutes after departure five kilometers from the coast, at depths ranging from 50 to 100 meters, close to Anapa” a spokesman said.” (Source)

The TU154 was carrying 84 passengers and eight crew , several journalists and almost the entire the Alexandrov Ensemble military choir were present on the military flight along with eight Russian soldiers.

Sputnik News are reporting that bodies have been found close to the Sochi coast.

Update: 92 People Were on Board of Tu-154 That Crashed in Black Sea – MoD

Portent of Doom?

This incident may prove to have been a tragic accident or it could be far more serious. It is too early to speculate as to the cause of the crash but if reports that no distress signal was sent are true, and it is already established that the weather was favorable it is hard to imagine a mechanical fault or pilot failure resulting in the loss of the plane because under either scenario there is an overwhelming likelihood of a distress signal from the flight.

The dropping like a rock into the ocean for no apparent reason phenomenon has been seen in numerous air disaster in recent years from the Air France 447 disaster to the Air Asia 8501 calamity and many others.

State Department talking head John Kirby and many other current and former US officials have repeatedlywarned Russia of violent retribution for the defeat of the Western proxy forces in Syria on many occasions. If foul play has led to the demise of this aircraft those words may well come to haunt them and the world.

Updated- December 28th.

There were no survivors of the TU154 Black Sea crash. The flight voice and data recorders have been recovered and sources well connected with the Russia government claim that these and other data overwhelmingly point to pilot and/or mechanical error as the cause of the tragedy,

‘The flaps, damn it!’ Last words of doomed Tu-154 flight crew leaked to media — RT News

“According to a source close to investigation speaking to Interfax, initial readings from the black box appear to confirm the pilot error story. “The preliminary analysis of the flight recorder is complete,” said the unnamed source.

“It leads us to conclude that that the version of the catastrophe connected to mistakes made by the pilot of the aircraft, is the main version.”

Published record of the last session with the falling into the Black Sea in Sochi, the Tu-154