A Russian airliner caught fire after taking off from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday. The plane then returned and made a forced landing at the airport. According to Russian channel 24 quoted the Russian Investigation Commission, the accident has killed 41 people. Chinese Embassy in Russia confirmed Friday that there were no Chinese citizens on the plane. So, what is the cause of the fire in this Russian airliner?
The cause of the plane's fire is not clear at present. According to the preliminary judgment of the Moscow Investigation Bureau of the Russian Federal Investigation Commission, the cause of the fire is the short circuit of the wires caused by the failure of the electrical equipment. According to Russian media reports, a crew member said the plane had been hit by lightning after taking off, which may be the cause of the failure of electrical equipment on the plane. Lightning also caused the aircraft's automation system to fail, hitting the runway twice during landing.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has ordered the establishment of a national investigation committee on the accident, and the Russian federal investigation committee has also filed a case against the accident in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Russian federal criminal law in violation of air traffic safety.