VOA's Isabela Cocoli contributed to this report.
MOSCOW — A pilot of the Russian passenger plane which erupted in flames during an emergency landing in Moscow Sunday said he believed that lightning led to the crash, which killed at least 41 people.
Pilot Denis Evdokimov was quoted in Russian media Monday as saying that "because of lightning, we had a loss of radio communication." The pilot did not specify whether the plane was struck directly.
Russia's Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal investigation into the fiery crash landing of a Sukhoi Superjet-100 (SSJ100) passenger plane at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport Sunday evening, although the reason for the crash is not yet known.
Investigators have recovered both of the plane's flight recorders from the wreckage and were investigating three possible reasons for the crash — inexperienced pilots, equipment failure, and bad weather — according to the Associated Press.
Two teenagers and at least one member of the crew were among those killed, the Investigative Committee said.
The SSJ100 operated by national airline Aeroflot had 73 passengers and five crew members on board when it made a hard emergency landing. Video on Russian television showed fire bursting from the plane's underside as it touched down.
Russian Emergency Ministry said it does not plan to ground other SSJ100 planes following the Sunday's crash.
The plane departed Moscow airport at 18:03 local time (11:03 EDT) for the northern city of Murmansk. Shortly after takeoff, the crew sent a distress signal to air traffic control, saying the plane had some technical issues and required the emergency landing.
Passengers were evacuated through emergency slides. People waiting inside the terminal were able to see the emergency landing and ensuing fire.
Sheremetyevo Airport was closed for a short period of time and inbound flights were forced into holding patterns and some diverted to other Moscow airports.
The plane's manufacturer, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, said the aircraft had received maintenance at the beginning of April. Aeroflot said the pilot had some 1,400 hours of flying experience with SSJ100.
The Sunday's incident was the second fatal crash for the Sukhoi Superjet. In 2012, an SSJ100, on a demonstration flight in Indonesia, crashed into a mountain, killing all 45 aboard.
