But Pins Most Of Blame For Aeroflot-Nord Crash On Poor Training

The final report by a Russian board convened to investigate the September 14, 2008 downing of a Boeing 737-500 operated by an Aeroflot subsidiary sends something of a mixed message. Investigators determined the primary cause of the accident was due to poor pilot training... but also notes alcohol was found in the chief pilot's blood.

As ANN reported, the Aeroflot-Nord plane crashed while making a second attempt to land in Perm, in difficult weather conditions. Controllers said the pilot appeared to be under stress, and was not responding to their instructions just before the aircraft crashed in the Ural Mountains.

Reuters reports that after investigating a number of theories, an official commission ruled this week the accident was caused by the pilot's loss of orientation, tied to a lack of familiarity with the 737's Western-style attitude indicator. That goes to a lack of proper training, the commission determined.

Also identified as causal in the report were the crew's activities prior to the accident flight.

"A forensic study ... detected the presence of ethyl alcohol in the crew commander's body before his death," said Alexei Morozov, head of the investigating commission, in a news conference. "The crew commander's regime of work and rest in the period preceding this aviation accident was a factor behind his overall tiredness and ran counter to the established standards."

Morozov cautioned reporters and prosecutors from jumping to conclusions, however.

"I repeat again: the direct cause of the accident was the loss of orientation in space," he said. "...I think that to judge if the crew were drunk or not is more the prerogative of prosecutors than ours. The technical commission does not seek to detect when and where alcohol intake took place -- during the flight, before preflight medical checks or after."

Aeroflot has since disavowed any support for its embattled subsidiary, in a quest to polish its image as a worldwide airline. That perception took another hit last month, when a pilot's slurred speed during a preflight announcement sparked panic onboard a Boeing 767 heading to New York.

FMI: www.aeroflot.ru/eng/