But pilot Denis Yevdokimov told Russian media the craft lost communication and needed to switch to emergency control mode "because of lightning" on the Aeroflot flight to the Arctic city of Murmansk. Videos on social media showed the plane crash-landing and then speeding along the runway with flames pouring from its fuselage. Evdokimov said he believed the plane burst into flames on landing, most likely because of full fuel tanks. The aircraft's black boxes have been found and handed over to investigators, a source in the Russian emergency services told news agencies. Pyotr Egorov, also on board, told media: "We had just taken off when the plane was hit by lightning... the landing was very hard, we almost passed out from fear.

Source: The Nation Bangkok May 06, 2019 09:56 UTC