Russian Media Reporting Low-Time Crew May Have Made 'Blonde's Mistake'

In the case of a Yak 42 airliner (file photo shown) that crashed in Russia September 7, killing 44 people, Russian media is reporting that investigators have ruled out possible causes including low-quality fuel, engine failure and other technical malfunction. Speculation is now directed at a mistake almost everyone has made in an automobile at some point - forgetting to release the parking brake.

RT.com says the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper Wednesday cited an unidentified source close to the investigation as saying, quote - "It looks like the tragedy was caused by a ‘banal error’ by the pilots, which motorists call 'the blonde's mistake'. They may have forgotten to release the parking brake.

"The commission investigating the crash has established that the plane started its takeoff run with the parking brake set. The engine is powerful enough to get the plane moving along the runway, but the aircraft cannot pick up the takeoff speed."

Test pilot Sergey Knyshov told the paper Russian pilots are under pressure to fly, no matter what. "Russian pilots have no right to get sick. In other countries, a pilot has a right to refuse to fly three times a year without giving any reason. But in Russia it is – get some pills and move on – that’s it."

Other sources are reporting cockpit audio reveals the flight's commander, identified as Andrey Solomentsev, asked co-pilot Igor Zhevelov to take over the steering, as he was feeling sick. It's thought the release of the brake may have been overlooked in the hand-off. The sources say investigators have confirmed the takeoff roll started with the parking brake still set.

Another issue getting scrutiny is pilot experience. Solomentsev reportedly had just 1,400 total hours, Zhevelov only 400. The investigation continues.

FMI: http://rt.com/news/experience-crew-crashed-plane-463/