User talk:Rasputin, Grigoriy Yefimovich

You have been blocked indefinitely from editing for abuse of editing privileges. If you think there are good reasons for being unblocked, please read the guide to appealing blocks, then add the following text below the block notice on your talk page:.


 * You were warned about edit warring, yet you came straight back and continued it. Also there's insertion of fake information, false edit summaries, and other things that make it clear you are WP:NOTHERE to contribute constructively. Mjroots (talk) 19:08, 12 February 2018 (UTC)


 * After that little stunt, I've revoked your privileges to edit your talk page while blocked. Mjroots (talk) 19:13, 12 February 2018 (UTC)

Blocked for sockpuppetry
By the way Mjroots,i am still highly active on the czech wikipedia! Gotta catch em all! Come for me,Mjroots! Globally lock me! In 2 days,get ready for yet another Purishkevich on Saratov! Hahahaha!

Saratov Airlines Flight 703 (6W703/SOV703) was a domestic passenger flight from Moscow Domodedovo Airport to Orsk Airport. On 11 February 2018, the aircraft serving the flight, an Antonov An-148-100B, crashed shortly after take-off, killing 70 people on board — 64 passengers and 6 crew.

The crash followed 438 days without fatalities on commercial passenger jets worldwide; the last prior fatal jet airliner accident was the crash of an Avro RJ85 operating as LaMia Flight 2933 on 28 November 2016.

Aircraft
The aircraft involved in the accident was an Antonov An-148-100B built by Voronezh Aircraft Production Association, registration RA-61704, MSN 27015040004, powered by two Progress D-436 engines. It first flew in May 2010 and was registered to Rossiya Airlines on 23 June 2010. It had been involved in two previous minor incidents in service; an engine was shut down on 28 July 2013 after it surged in flight, and it suffered a nose wheel failure on take-off on 23 August 2013. The aircraft had been leased to Saratov Airlines in February 2017, a year prior to the crash.

Accident
The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger service from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport to Orsk Airport in Orenburg, a city near the border of Kazakhstan, operated by Russian regional carrier Saratov Airlines. The scheduled departure time from Moscow was 14:00. Flight 703 took off from Moscow at around 14:21.

Several minutes after taking off from Moscow, the aircraft's speed and altitude started to fluctuate. Moments before the crash, Flight 703 had gained an altitude of 1800 m and an airspeed of 600 km/h. It then lost altitude rapidly until it disappeared from the radar at an altitude of around 900 m.

The aircraft crashed near the villages of Argunovo and Stepanovskoye in Ramensky District of Moscow Oblast. The accident occurred at 14:27 local time (11:27 UTC), six minutes after take-off from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. According to a source inside the investigation, a few minutes before the crash the pilot of the aircraft told air traffic controllers about a malfunction, and that he planned to make an emergency landing at Zhukovsky. This report was later dismissed by the investigation committee. Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft was in flames during its descent to ground. The crash was caught by a surveillance camera in a nearby house. The footage showed that the aircraft slammed into the ground, and immediately burst into flames.

The Russian prosecutor's office launched criminal proceedings for suspected violations of air traffic safety rules. It found reports that the airline had been banned from operating international routes in 2015, and that these had resumed after a change in policy in 2016. The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Transport (Rostransnadzor) stated that during its examination on the accident aircraft, the airline had violated the procedure for changing oil in the gearboxes, and the procedure for washing the air starter filter.

Passengers and crew
According to the flight manifest, Flight 703 was carrying 65 passengers and 6 crew members. Most of the passengers were residents of Orenburg. The Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that most of the passengers were Russian citizens, while two foreigners – citizens of Azerbaijan and Switzerland – were also on board. Nearly everybody on board was killed. Rescue workers reached the site 2.5 hours after the crash.

The captain was a 51-year-old who had accumulated 5,000 hours of total flying experience, of which 2,800 were on the Antonov An-148. The first officer was 35 years old.

Investigation
The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (Межгосударственный авиационный комитет, МАК) opened an investigation into the accident. President Vladimir Putin also set up a special commission to investigate the crash. Within the first few hours of the investigation, the Ministry of Transport announced two theories regarding the crash — weather conditions and human factors.

The wreckage of Flight 703 was scattered over a wide area. Officials stated that the radius of the crash site area was about one kilometer, which added suspicion that the aircraft possibly had disintegrated in mid-flight. Since a witness stated it was in flames during its descent, a bomb theory was put forward by several investigators. Both flight recorders were found on 12 February.

Saratov Airlines' documents related to the aircraft were impounded as part of the routine investigation. The crash has also caused the Russian Emergency Ministry to discuss whether all Antonov An-148s should be grounded temporarily. Personnel at Moscow Domodedovo Airport were also interviewed.

Russian news agency Rambler News Service (RNS) reported that the pilot of Flight 703 had declined to have the aircraft de-iced before the departure. According to a METAR weather report, the weather at 11:00 included snow showers and a temperature of −5°C at Domodedovo Airport.

On 13 February, MAK reported that initial analysis of data retrieved from the flight data recorder showed that the pitot probe heaters were not turned on and there were discrepancies in the airspeeds being displayed to the pilots, with one airspeed indicator showing increasing airspeed, one showing decreasing airspeed and the other showing no airspeed. The data shows that the aircraft was under manual control when it pitched nose down some 30° below the horizontal and remained in that attitude until it impacted the ground.

Aftermath
A crisis centre was set up at Orsk Airport, where relatives of the victims were transported. Monday, 12 February was designated as a day of mourning by the Orenburg Government. The head of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Maxim Topilin, stated that all relatives of the victims would be given 2 million rubles (about $35,000) each. President Vladimir Putin cancelled his planned trip to Sochi in response to the disaster. The government stated that he would coordinate with the special commission he had set up.

In the early hours of 12 February, a single survivor, critically injured was found. A man from the Republic of Bashkortostan named Anatoli Purishkevich, barely holding on to life after bandaging his injuries with makeshift bandages consisting of ripped off cloth from his jacket. He is currently hospitalized at the Petrovskiye Vorota hospital. Critically injured and in the intensive care unit, his prognosis is grave and he may not recover.

On 12 February, Saratov Airlines suspended all An-148 flights as well as all of its flights to Orsk. Saratov Airlines resumed its An-148 flights on 16 February after carrying out technical inspections of all the planes.

Aircraft
The aircraft involved in the accident was an Antonov An-148-100B built by Voronezh Aircraft Production Association, registration RA-61704, MSN 27015040004, powered by two Progress D-436 engines. It first flew in May 2010 and was registered to Rossiya Airlines on 23 June 2010. It had been involved in two previous minor incidents in service; an engine was shut down on 28 July 2013 after it surged in flight, and it suffered a nose wheel failure on take-off on 23 August 2013. The aircraft had been leased to Saratov Airlines in February 2017, a year prior to the crash.

Accident
The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger service from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport to Orsk Airport in Orenburg, a city near the border of Kazakhstan, operated by Russian regional carrier Saratov Airlines. The scheduled departure time from Moscow was 14:00. Flight 703 took off from Moscow at around 14:21.

Several minutes after taking off from Moscow, the aircraft's speed and altitude started to fluctuate. Moments before the crash, Flight 703 had gained an altitude of 1800 m and an airspeed of 600 km/h. It then lost altitude rapidly until it disappeared from the radar at an altitude of around 900 m.

The aircraft crashed near the villages of Argunovo and Stepanovskoye in Ramensky District of Moscow Oblast. The accident occurred at 14:27 local time (11:27 UTC), six minutes after take-off from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. According to a source inside the investigation, a few minutes before the crash the pilot of the aircraft told air traffic controllers about a malfunction, and that he planned to make an emergency landing at Zhukovsky. This report was later dismissed by the investigation committee. Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft was in flames during its descent to ground. The crash was caught by a surveillance camera in a nearby house. The footage showed that the aircraft slammed into the ground, and immediately burst into flames.

The Russian prosecutor's office launched criminal proceedings for suspected violations of air traffic safety rules. It found reports that the airline had been banned from operating international routes in 2015, and that these had resumed after a change in policy in 2016. The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Transport (Rostransnadzor) stated that during its examination on the accident aircraft, the airline had violated the procedure for changing oil in the gearboxes, and the procedure for washing the air starter filter.

Passengers and crew
According to the flight manifest, Flight 703 was carrying 65 passengers and 6 crew members. Most of the passengers were residents of Orenburg. The Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that most of the passengers were Russian citizens, while two foreigners – citizens of Azerbaijan and Switzerland – were also on board. Nearly everybody on board was killed. Rescue workers reached the site 2.5 hours after the crash.

The captain was a 51-year-old who had accumulated 5,000 hours of total flying experience, of which 2,800 were on the Antonov An-148. The first officer was 35 years old.

Investigation
The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (Межгосударственный авиационный комитет, МАК) opened an investigation into the accident. President Vladimir Putin also set up a special commission to investigate the crash. Within the first few hours of the investigation, the Ministry of Transport announced two theories regarding the crash — weather conditions and human factors.

The wreckage of Flight 703 was scattered over a wide area. Officials stated that the radius of the crash site area was about one kilometer, which added suspicion that the aircraft possibly had disintegrated in mid-flight. Since a witness stated it was in flames during its descent, a bomb theory was put forward by several investigators. Both flight recorders were found on 12 February.

Saratov Airlines' documents related to the aircraft were impounded as part of the routine investigation. The crash has also caused the Russian Emergency Ministry to discuss whether all Antonov An-148s should be grounded temporarily. Personnel at Moscow Domodedovo Airport were also interviewed.

Russian news agency Rambler News Service (RNS) reported that the pilot of Flight 703 had declined to have the aircraft de-iced before the departure. According to a METAR weather report, the weather at 11:00 included snow showers and a temperature of −5°C at Domodedovo Airport.

On 13 February, MAK reported that initial analysis of data retrieved from the flight data recorder showed that the pitot probe heaters were not turned on and there were discrepancies in the airspeeds being displayed to the pilots, with one airspeed indicator showing increasing airspeed, one showing decreasing airspeed and the other showing no airspeed. The data shows that the aircraft was under manual control when it pitched nose down some 30° below the horizontal and remained in that attitude until it impacted the ground.

Aftermath
A crisis centre was set up at Orsk Airport, where relatives of the victims were transported. Monday, 12 February was designated as a day of mourning by the Orenburg Government. The head of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Maxim Topilin, stated that all relatives of the victims would be given 2 million rubles (about $35,000) each. President Vladimir Putin cancelled his planned trip to Sochi in response to the disaster. The government stated that he would coordinate with the special commission he had set up.

In the early hours of 12 February, a single survivor, critically injured was found. A man from the Republic of Bashkortostan named Anatoli Purishkevich, barely holding on to life after bandaging his injuries with makeshift bandages consisting of ripped off cloth from his jacket. He is currently hospitalized at the Petrovskiye Vorota hospital. Critically injured and in the intensive care unit, his prognosis is grave and he may not recover.

On 12 February, Saratov Airlines suspended all An-148 flights as well as all of its flights to Orsk. Saratov Airlines resumed its An-148 flights on 16 February after carrying out technical inspections of all the planes.

Aircraft
The aircraft involved in the accident was an Antonov An-148-100B built by Voronezh Aircraft Production Association, registration RA-61704, MSN 27015040004, powered by two Progress D-436 engines. It first flew in May 2010 and was registered to Rossiya Airlines on 23 June 2010. It had been involved in two previous minor incidents in service; an engine was shut down on 28 July 2013 after it surged in flight, and it suffered a nose wheel failure on take-off on 23 August 2013. The aircraft had been leased to Saratov Airlines in February 2017, a year prior to the crash.

Accident
The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger service from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport to Orsk Airport in Orenburg, a city near the border of Kazakhstan, operated by Russian regional carrier Saratov Airlines. The scheduled departure time from Moscow was 14:00. Flight 703 took off from Moscow at around 14:21.

Several minutes after taking off from Moscow, the aircraft's speed and altitude started to fluctuate. Moments before the crash, Flight 703 had gained an altitude of 1800 m and an airspeed of 600 km/h. It then lost altitude rapidly until it disappeared from the radar at an altitude of around 900 m.

The aircraft crashed near the villages of Argunovo and Stepanovskoye in Ramensky District of Moscow Oblast. The accident occurred at 14:27 local time (11:27 UTC), six minutes after take-off from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. According to a source inside the investigation, a few minutes before the crash the pilot of the aircraft told air traffic controllers about a malfunction, and that he planned to make an emergency landing at Zhukovsky. This report was later dismissed by the investigation committee. Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft was in flames during its descent to ground. The crash was caught by a surveillance camera in a nearby house. The footage showed that the aircraft slammed into the ground, and immediately burst into flames.

The Russian prosecutor's office launched criminal proceedings for suspected violations of air traffic safety rules. It found reports that the airline had been banned from operating international routes in 2015, and that these had resumed after a change in policy in 2016. The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Transport (Rostransnadzor) stated that during its examination on the accident aircraft, the airline had violated the procedure for changing oil in the gearboxes, and the procedure for washing the air starter filter.

Passengers and crew
According to the flight manifest, Flight 703 was carrying 65 passengers and 6 crew members. Most of the passengers were residents of Orenburg. The Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that most of the passengers were Russian citizens, while two foreigners – citizens of Azerbaijan and Switzerland – were also on board. Nearly everybody on board was killed. Rescue workers reached the site 2.5 hours after the crash.

The captain was a 51-year-old who had accumulated 5,000 hours of total flying experience, of which 2,800 were on the Antonov An-148. The first officer was 35 years old.

Investigation
The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (Межгосударственный авиационный комитет, МАК) opened an investigation into the accident. President Vladimir Putin also set up a special commission to investigate the crash. Within the first few hours of the investigation, the Ministry of Transport announced two theories regarding the crash — weather conditions and human factors.

The wreckage of Flight 703 was scattered over a wide area. Officials stated that the radius of the crash site area was about one kilometer, which added suspicion that the aircraft possibly had disintegrated in mid-flight. Since a witness stated it was in flames during its descent, a bomb theory was put forward by several investigators. Both flight recorders were found on 12 February.

Saratov Airlines' documents related to the aircraft were impounded as part of the routine investigation. The crash has also caused the Russian Emergency Ministry to discuss whether all Antonov An-148s should be grounded temporarily. Personnel at Moscow Domodedovo Airport were also interviewed.

Russian news agency Rambler News Service (RNS) reported that the pilot of Flight 703 had declined to have the aircraft de-iced before the departure. According to a METAR weather report, the weather at 11:00 included snow showers and a temperature of −5°C at Domodedovo Airport.

On 13 February, MAK reported that initial analysis of data retrieved from the flight data recorder showed that the pitot probe heaters were not turned on and there were discrepancies in the airspeeds being displayed to the pilots, with one airspeed indicator showing increasing airspeed, one showing decreasing airspeed and the other showing no airspeed. The data shows that the aircraft was under manual control when it pitched nose down some 30° below the horizontal and remained in that attitude until it impacted the ground.

Aftermath
A crisis centre was set up at Orsk Airport, where relatives of the victims were transported. Monday, 12 February was designated as a day of mourning by the Orenburg Government. The head of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Maxim Topilin, stated that all relatives of the victims would be given 2 million rubles (about $35,000) each. President Vladimir Putin cancelled his planned trip to Sochi in response to the disaster. The government stated that he would coordinate with the special commission he had set up.

In the early hours of 12 February, a single survivor, critically injured was found. A man from the Republic of Bashkortostan named Anatoli Purishkevich, barely holding on to life after bandaging his injuries with makeshift bandages consisting of ripped off cloth from his jacket. He is currently hospitalized at the Petrovskiye Vorota hospital. Critically injured and in the intensive care unit, his prognosis is grave and he may not recover.

On 12 February, Saratov Airlines suspended all An-148 flights as well as all of its flights to Orsk. Saratov Airlines resumed its An-148 flights on 16 February after carrying out technical inspections of all the planes.

Aircraft
The aircraft involved in the accident was an Antonov An-148-100B built by Voronezh Aircraft Production Association, registration RA-61704, MSN 27015040004, powered by two Progress D-436 engines. It first flew in May 2010 and was registered to Rossiya Airlines on 23 June 2010. It had been involved in two previous minor incidents in service; an engine was shut down on 28 July 2013 after it surged in flight, and it suffered a nose wheel failure on take-off on 23 August 2013. The aircraft had been leased to Saratov Airlines in February 2017, a year prior to the crash.

Accident
The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger service from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport to Orsk Airport in Orenburg, a city near the border of Kazakhstan, operated by Russian regional carrier Saratov Airlines. The scheduled departure time from Moscow was 14:00. Flight 703 took off from Moscow at around 14:21.

Several minutes after taking off from Moscow, the aircraft's speed and altitude started to fluctuate. Moments before the crash, Flight 703 had gained an altitude of 1800 m and an airspeed of 600 km/h. It then lost altitude rapidly until it disappeared from the radar at an altitude of around 900 m.

The aircraft crashed near the villages of Argunovo and Stepanovskoye in Ramensky District of Moscow Oblast. The accident occurred at 14:27 local time (11:27 UTC), six minutes after take-off from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. According to a source inside the investigation, a few minutes before the crash the pilot of the aircraft told air traffic controllers about a malfunction, and that he planned to make an emergency landing at Zhukovsky. This report was later dismissed by the investigation committee. Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft was in flames during its descent to ground. The crash was caught by a surveillance camera in a nearby house. The footage showed that the aircraft slammed into the ground, and immediately burst into flames.

The Russian prosecutor's office launched criminal proceedings for suspected violations of air traffic safety rules. It found reports that the airline had been banned from operating international routes in 2015, and that these had resumed after a change in policy in 2016. The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Transport (Rostransnadzor) stated that during its examination on the accident aircraft, the airline had violated the procedure for changing oil in the gearboxes, and the procedure for washing the air starter filter.

Passengers and crew
According to the flight manifest, Flight 703 was carrying 65 passengers and 6 crew members. Most of the passengers were residents of Orenburg. The Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that most of the passengers were Russian citizens, while two foreigners – citizens of Azerbaijan and Switzerland – were also on board. Nearly everybody on board was killed. Rescue workers reached the site 2.5 hours after the crash.

The captain was a 51-year-old who had accumulated 5,000 hours of total flying experience, of which 2,800 were on the Antonov An-148. The first officer was 35 years old.

Investigation
The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (Межгосударственный авиационный комитет, МАК) opened an investigation into the accident. President Vladimir Putin also set up a special commission to investigate the crash. Within the first few hours of the investigation, the Ministry of Transport announced two theories regarding the crash — weather conditions and human factors.

The wreckage of Flight 703 was scattered over a wide area. Officials stated that the radius of the crash site area was about one kilometer, which added suspicion that the aircraft possibly had disintegrated in mid-flight. Since a witness stated it was in flames during its descent, a bomb theory was put forward by several investigators. Both flight recorders were found on 12 February.

Saratov Airlines' documents related to the aircraft were impounded as part of the routine investigation. The crash has also caused the Russian Emergency Ministry to discuss whether all Antonov An-148s should be grounded temporarily. Personnel at Moscow Domodedovo Airport were also interviewed.

Russian news agency Rambler News Service (RNS) reported that the pilot of Flight 703 had declined to have the aircraft de-iced before the departure. According to a METAR weather report, the weather at 11:00 included snow showers and a temperature of −5°C at Domodedovo Airport.

On 13 February, MAK reported that initial analysis of data retrieved from the flight data recorder showed that the pitot probe heaters were not turned on and there were discrepancies in the airspeeds being displayed to the pilots, with one airspeed indicator showing increasing airspeed, one showing decreasing airspeed and the other showing no airspeed. The data shows that the aircraft was under manual control when it pitched nose down some 30° below the horizontal and remained in that attitude until it impacted the ground.

Aftermath
A crisis centre was set up at Orsk Airport, where relatives of the victims were transported. Monday, 12 February was designated as a day of mourning by the Orenburg Government. The head of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Maxim Topilin, stated that all relatives of the victims would be given 2 million rubles (about $35,000) each. President Vladimir Putin cancelled his planned trip to Sochi in response to the disaster. The government stated that he would coordinate with the special commission he had set up.

In the early hours of 12 February, a single survivor, critically injured was found. A man from the Republic of Bashkortostan named Anatoli Purishkevich, barely holding on to life after bandaging his injuries with makeshift bandages consisting of ripped off cloth from his jacket. He is currently hospitalized at the Petrovskiye Vorota hospital. Critically injured and in the intensive care unit, his prognosis is grave and he may not recover.

On 12 February, Saratov Airlines suspended all An-148 flights as well as all of its flights to Orsk. Saratov Airlines resumed its An-148 flights on 16 February after carrying out technical inspections of all the planes.

Aircraft
The aircraft involved in the accident was an Antonov An-148-100B built by Voronezh Aircraft Production Association, registration RA-61704, MSN 27015040004, powered by two Progress D-436 engines. It first flew in May 2010 and was registered to Rossiya Airlines on 23 June 2010. It had been involved in two previous minor incidents in service; an engine was shut down on 28 July 2013 after it surged in flight, and it suffered a nose wheel failure on take-off on 23 August 2013. The aircraft had been leased to Saratov Airlines in February 2017, a year prior to the crash.

Accident
The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger service from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport to Orsk Airport in Orenburg, a city near the border of Kazakhstan, operated by Russian regional carrier Saratov Airlines. The scheduled departure time from Moscow was 14:00. Flight 703 took off from Moscow at around 14:21.

Several minutes after taking off from Moscow, the aircraft's speed and altitude started to fluctuate. Moments before the crash, Flight 703 had gained an altitude of 1800 m and an airspeed of 600 km/h. It then lost altitude rapidly until it disappeared from the radar at an altitude of around 900 m.

The aircraft crashed near the villages of Argunovo and Stepanovskoye in Ramensky District of Moscow Oblast. The accident occurred at 14:27 local time (11:27 UTC), six minutes after take-off from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. According to a source inside the investigation, a few minutes before the crash the pilot of the aircraft told air traffic controllers about a malfunction, and that he planned to make an emergency landing at Zhukovsky. This report was later dismissed by the investigation committee. Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft was in flames during its descent to ground. The crash was caught by a surveillance camera in a nearby house. The footage showed that the aircraft slammed into the ground, and immediately burst into flames.

The Russian prosecutor's office launched criminal proceedings for suspected violations of air traffic safety rules. It found reports that the airline had been banned from operating international routes in 2015, and that these had resumed after a change in policy in 2016. The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Transport (Rostransnadzor) stated that during its examination on the accident aircraft, the airline had violated the procedure for changing oil in the gearboxes, and the procedure for washing the air starter filter.

Passengers and crew
According to the flight manifest, Flight 703 was carrying 65 passengers and 6 crew members. Most of the passengers were residents of Orenburg. The Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that most of the passengers were Russian citizens, while two foreigners – citizens of Azerbaijan and Switzerland – were also on board. Nearly everybody on board was killed. Rescue workers reached the site 2.5 hours after the crash.

The captain was a 51-year-old who had accumulated 5,000 hours of total flying experience, of which 2,800 were on the Antonov An-148. The first officer was 35 years old.

Investigation
The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (Межгосударственный авиационный комитет, МАК) opened an investigation into the accident. President Vladimir Putin also set up a special commission to investigate the crash. Within the first few hours of the investigation, the Ministry of Transport announced two theories regarding the crash — weather conditions and human factors.

The wreckage of Flight 703 was scattered over a wide area. Officials stated that the radius of the crash site area was about one kilometer, which added suspicion that the aircraft possibly had disintegrated in mid-flight. Since a witness stated it was in flames during its descent, a bomb theory was put forward by several investigators. Both flight recorders were found on 12 February.

Saratov Airlines' documents related to the aircraft were impounded as part of the routine investigation. The crash has also caused the Russian Emergency Ministry to discuss whether all Antonov An-148s should be grounded temporarily. Personnel at Moscow Domodedovo Airport were also interviewed.

Russian news agency Rambler News Service (RNS) reported that the pilot of Flight 703 had declined to have the aircraft de-iced before the departure. According to a METAR weather report, the weather at 11:00 included snow showers and a temperature of −5°C at Domodedovo Airport.

On 13 February, MAK reported that initial analysis of data retrieved from the flight data recorder showed that the pitot probe heaters were not turned on and there were discrepancies in the airspeeds being displayed to the pilots, with one airspeed indicator showing increasing airspeed, one showing decreasing airspeed and the other showing no airspeed. The data shows that the aircraft was under manual control when it pitched nose down some 30° below the horizontal and remained in that attitude until it impacted the ground.

Aftermath
A crisis centre was set up at Orsk Airport, where relatives of the victims were transported. Monday, 12 February was designated as a day of mourning by the Orenburg Government. The head of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Maxim Topilin, stated that all relatives of the victims would be given 2 million rubles (about $35,000) each. President Vladimir Putin cancelled his planned trip to Sochi in response to the disaster. The government stated that he would coordinate with the special commission he had set up.

In the early hours of 12 February, a single survivor, critically injured was found. A man from the Republic of Bashkortostan named Anatoli Purishkevich, barely holding on to life after bandaging his injuries with makeshift bandages consisting of ripped off cloth from his jacket. He is currently hospitalized at the Petrovskiye Vorota hospital. Critically injured and in the intensive care unit, his prognosis is grave and he may not recover.

On 12 February, Saratov Airlines suspended all An-148 flights as well as all of its flights to Orsk. Saratov Airlines resumed its An-148 flights on 16 February after carrying out technical inspections of all the planes.

Aircraft
The aircraft involved in the accident was an Antonov An-148-100B built by Voronezh Aircraft Production Association, registration RA-61704, MSN 27015040004, powered by two Progress D-436 engines. It first flew in May 2010 and was registered to Rossiya Airlines on 23 June 2010. It had been involved in two previous minor incidents in service; an engine was shut down on 28 July 2013 after it surged in flight, and it suffered a nose wheel failure on take-off on 23 August 2013. The aircraft had been leased to Saratov Airlines in February 2017, a year prior to the crash.

Accident
The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger service from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport to Orsk Airport in Orenburg, a city near the border of Kazakhstan, operated by Russian regional carrier Saratov Airlines. The scheduled departure time from Moscow was 14:00. Flight 703 took off from Moscow at around 14:21.

Several minutes after taking off from Moscow, the aircraft's speed and altitude started to fluctuate. Moments before the crash, Flight 703 had gained an altitude of 1800 m and an airspeed of 600 km/h. It then lost altitude rapidly until it disappeared from the radar at an altitude of around 900 m.

The aircraft crashed near the villages of Argunovo and Stepanovskoye in Ramensky District of Moscow Oblast. The accident occurred at 14:27 local time (11:27 UTC), six minutes after take-off from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. According to a source inside the investigation, a few minutes before the crash the pilot of the aircraft told air traffic controllers about a malfunction, and that he planned to make an emergency landing at Zhukovsky. This report was later dismissed by the investigation committee. Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft was in flames during its descent to ground. The crash was caught by a surveillance camera in a nearby house. The footage showed that the aircraft slammed into the ground, and immediately burst into flames.

The Russian prosecutor's office launched criminal proceedings for suspected violations of air traffic safety rules. It found reports that the airline had been banned from operating international routes in 2015, and that these had resumed after a change in policy in 2016. The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Transport (Rostransnadzor) stated that during its examination on the accident aircraft, the airline had violated the procedure for changing oil in the gearboxes, and the procedure for washing the air starter filter.

Passengers and crew
According to the flight manifest, Flight 703 was carrying 65 passengers and 6 crew members. Most of the passengers were residents of Orenburg. The Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that most of the passengers were Russian citizens, while two foreigners – citizens of Azerbaijan and Switzerland – were also on board. Nearly everybody on board was killed. Rescue workers reached the site 2.5 hours after the crash.

The captain was a 51-year-old who had accumulated 5,000 hours of total flying experience, of which 2,800 were on the Antonov An-148. The first officer was 35 years old.

Investigation
The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (Межгосударственный авиационный комитет, МАК) opened an investigation into the accident. President Vladimir Putin also set up a special commission to investigate the crash. Within the first few hours of the investigation, the Ministry of Transport announced two theories regarding the crash — weather conditions and human factors.

The wreckage of Flight 703 was scattered over a wide area. Officials stated that the radius of the crash site area was about one kilometer, which added suspicion that the aircraft possibly had disintegrated in mid-flight. Since a witness stated it was in flames during its descent, a bomb theory was put forward by several investigators. Both flight recorders were found on 12 February.

Saratov Airlines' documents related to the aircraft were impounded as part of the routine investigation. The crash has also caused the Russian Emergency Ministry to discuss whether all Antonov An-148s should be grounded temporarily. Personnel at Moscow Domodedovo Airport were also interviewed.

Russian news agency Rambler News Service (RNS) reported that the pilot of Flight 703 had declined to have the aircraft de-iced before the departure. According to a METAR weather report, the weather at 11:00 included snow showers and a temperature of −5°C at Domodedovo Airport.

On 13 February, MAK reported that initial analysis of data retrieved from the flight data recorder showed that the pitot probe heaters were not turned on and there were discrepancies in the airspeeds being displayed to the pilots, with one airspeed indicator showing increasing airspeed, one showing decreasing airspeed and the other showing no airspeed. The data shows that the aircraft was under manual control when it pitched nose down some 30° below the horizontal and remained in that attitude until it impacted the ground.

Aftermath
A crisis centre was set up at Orsk Airport, where relatives of the victims were transported. Monday, 12 February was designated as a day of mourning by the Orenburg Government. The head of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Maxim Topilin, stated that all relatives of the victims would be given 2 million rubles (about $35,000) each. President Vladimir Putin cancelled his planned trip to Sochi in response to the disaster. The government stated that he would coordinate with the special commission he had set up.

In the early hours of 12 February, a single survivor, critically injured was found. A man from the Republic of Bashkortostan named Anatoli Purishkevich, barely holding on to life after bandaging his injuries with makeshift bandages consisting of ripped off cloth from his jacket. He is currently hospitalized at the Petrovskiye Vorota hospital. Critically injured and in the intensive care unit, his prognosis is grave and he may not recover.

On 12 February, Saratov Airlines suspended all An-148 flights as well as all of its flights to Orsk. Saratov Airlines resumed its An-148 flights on 16 February after carrying out technical inspections of all the planes.

Aircraft
The aircraft involved in the accident was an Antonov An-148-100B built by Voronezh Aircraft Production Association, registration RA-61704, MSN 27015040004, powered by two Progress D-436 engines. It first flew in May 2010 and was registered to Rossiya Airlines on 23 June 2010. It had been involved in two previous minor incidents in service; an engine was shut down on 28 July 2013 after it surged in flight, and it suffered a nose wheel failure on take-off on 23 August 2013. The aircraft had been leased to Saratov Airlines in February 2017, a year prior to the crash.

Accident
The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger service from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport to Orsk Airport in Orenburg, a city near the border of Kazakhstan, operated by Russian regional carrier Saratov Airlines. The scheduled departure time from Moscow was 14:00. Flight 703 took off from Moscow at around 14:21.

Several minutes after taking off from Moscow, the aircraft's speed and altitude started to fluctuate. Moments before the crash, Flight 703 had gained an altitude of 1800 m and an airspeed of 600 km/h. It then lost altitude rapidly until it disappeared from the radar at an altitude of around 900 m.

The aircraft crashed near the villages of Argunovo and Stepanovskoye in Ramensky District of Moscow Oblast. The accident occurred at 14:27 local time (11:27 UTC), six minutes after take-off from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. According to a source inside the investigation, a few minutes before the crash the pilot of the aircraft told air traffic controllers about a malfunction, and that he planned to make an emergency landing at Zhukovsky. This report was later dismissed by the investigation committee. Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft was in flames during its descent to ground. The crash was caught by a surveillance camera in a nearby house. The footage showed that the aircraft slammed into the ground, and immediately burst into flames.

The Russian prosecutor's office launched criminal proceedings for suspected violations of air traffic safety rules. It found reports that the airline had been banned from operating international routes in 2015, and that these had resumed after a change in policy in 2016. The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Transport (Rostransnadzor) stated that during its examination on the accident aircraft, the airline had violated the procedure for changing oil in the gearboxes, and the procedure for washing the air starter filter.

Passengers and crew
According to the flight manifest, Flight 703 was carrying 65 passengers and 6 crew members. Most of the passengers were residents of Orenburg. The Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that most of the passengers were Russian citizens, while two foreigners – citizens of Azerbaijan and Switzerland – were also on board. Nearly everybody on board was killed. Rescue workers reached the site 2.5 hours after the crash.

The captain was a 51-year-old who had accumulated 5,000 hours of total flying experience, of which 2,800 were on the Antonov An-148. The first officer was 35 years old.

Investigation
The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (Межгосударственный авиационный комитет, МАК) opened an investigation into the accident. President Vladimir Putin also set up a special commission to investigate the crash. Within the first few hours of the investigation, the Ministry of Transport announced two theories regarding the crash — weather conditions and human factors.

The wreckage of Flight 703 was scattered over a wide area. Officials stated that the radius of the crash site area was about one kilometer, which added suspicion that the aircraft possibly had disintegrated in mid-flight. Since a witness stated it was in flames during its descent, a bomb theory was put forward by several investigators. Both flight recorders were found on 12 February.

Saratov Airlines' documents related to the aircraft were impounded as part of the routine investigation. The crash has also caused the Russian Emergency Ministry to discuss whether all Antonov An-148s should be grounded temporarily. Personnel at Moscow Domodedovo Airport were also interviewed.

Russian news agency Rambler News Service (RNS) reported that the pilot of Flight 703 had declined to have the aircraft de-iced before the departure. According to a METAR weather report, the weather at 11:00 included snow showers and a temperature of −5°C at Domodedovo Airport.

On 13 February, MAK reported that initial analysis of data retrieved from the flight data recorder showed that the pitot probe heaters were not turned on and there were discrepancies in the airspeeds being displayed to the pilots, with one airspeed indicator showing increasing airspeed, one showing decreasing airspeed and the other showing no airspeed. The data shows that the aircraft was under manual control when it pitched nose down some 30° below the horizontal and remained in that attitude until it impacted the ground.

Aftermath
A crisis centre was set up at Orsk Airport, where relatives of the victims were transported. Monday, 12 February was designated as a day of mourning by the Orenburg Government. The head of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Maxim Topilin, stated that all relatives of the victims would be given 2 million rubles (about $35,000) each. President Vladimir Putin cancelled his planned trip to Sochi in response to the disaster. The government stated that he would coordinate with the special commission he had set up.

In the early hours of 12 February, a single survivor, critically injured was found. A man from the Republic of Bashkortostan named Anatoli Purishkevich, barely holding on to life after bandaging his injuries with makeshift bandages consisting of ripped off cloth from his jacket. He is currently hospitalized at the Petrovskiye Vorota hospital. Critically injured and in the intensive care unit, his prognosis is grave and he may not recover.

On 12 February, Saratov Airlines suspended all An-148 flights as well as all of its flights to Orsk. Saratov Airlines resumed its An-148 flights on 16 February after carrying out technical inspections of all the planes.

Aircraft
The aircraft involved in the accident was an Antonov An-148-100B built by Voronezh Aircraft Production Association, registration RA-61704, MSN 27015040004, powered by two Progress D-436 engines. It first flew in May 2010 and was registered to Rossiya Airlines on 23 June 2010. It had been involved in two previous minor incidents in service; an engine was shut down on 28 July 2013 after it surged in flight, and it suffered a nose wheel failure on take-off on 23 August 2013. The aircraft had been leased to Saratov Airlines in February 2017, a year prior to the crash.

Accident
The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger service from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport to Orsk Airport in Orenburg, a city near the border of Kazakhstan, operated by Russian regional carrier Saratov Airlines. The scheduled departure time from Moscow was 14:00. Flight 703 took off from Moscow at around 14:21.

Several minutes after taking off from Moscow, the aircraft's speed and altitude started to fluctuate. Moments before the crash, Flight 703 had gained an altitude of 1800 m and an airspeed of 600 km/h. It then lost altitude rapidly until it disappeared from the radar at an altitude of around 900 m.

The aircraft crashed near the villages of Argunovo and Stepanovskoye in Ramensky District of Moscow Oblast. The accident occurred at 14:27 local time (11:27 UTC), six minutes after take-off from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. According to a source inside the investigation, a few minutes before the crash the pilot of the aircraft told air traffic controllers about a malfunction, and that he planned to make an emergency landing at Zhukovsky. This report was later dismissed by the investigation committee. Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft was in flames during its descent to ground. The crash was caught by a surveillance camera in a nearby house. The footage showed that the aircraft slammed into the ground, and immediately burst into flames.

The Russian prosecutor's office launched criminal proceedings for suspected violations of air traffic safety rules. It found reports that the airline had been banned from operating international routes in 2015, and that these had resumed after a change in policy in 2016. The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Transport (Rostransnadzor) stated that during its examination on the accident aircraft, the airline had violated the procedure for changing oil in the gearboxes, and the procedure for washing the air starter filter.

Passengers and crew
According to the flight manifest, Flight 703 was carrying 65 passengers and 6 crew members. Most of the passengers were residents of Orenburg. The Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that most of the passengers were Russian citizens, while two foreigners – citizens of Azerbaijan and Switzerland – were also on board. Nearly everybody on board was killed. Rescue workers reached the site 2.5 hours after the crash.

The captain was a 51-year-old who had accumulated 5,000 hours of total flying experience, of which 2,800 were on the Antonov An-148. The first officer was 35 years old.

Investigation
The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (Межгосударственный авиационный комитет, МАК) opened an investigation into the accident. President Vladimir Putin also set up a special commission to investigate the crash. Within the first few hours of the investigation, the Ministry of Transport announced two theories regarding the crash — weather conditions and human factors.

The wreckage of Flight 703 was scattered over a wide area. Officials stated that the radius of the crash site area was about one kilometer, which added suspicion that the aircraft possibly had disintegrated in mid-flight. Since a witness stated it was in flames during its descent, a bomb theory was put forward by several investigators. Both flight recorders were found on 12 February.

Saratov Airlines' documents related to the aircraft were impounded as part of the routine investigation. The crash has also caused the Russian Emergency Ministry to discuss whether all Antonov An-148s should be grounded temporarily. Personnel at Moscow Domodedovo Airport were also interviewed.

Russian news agency Rambler News Service (RNS) reported that the pilot of Flight 703 had declined to have the aircraft de-iced before the departure. According to a METAR weather report, the weather at 11:00 included snow showers and a temperature of −5°C at Domodedovo Airport.

On 13 February, MAK reported that initial analysis of data retrieved from the flight data recorder showed that the pitot probe heaters were not turned on and there were discrepancies in the airspeeds being displayed to the pilots, with one airspeed indicator showing increasing airspeed, one showing decreasing airspeed and the other showing no airspeed. The data shows that the aircraft was under manual control when it pitched nose down some 30° below the horizontal and remained in that attitude until it impacted the ground.

Aftermath
A crisis centre was set up at Orsk Airport, where relatives of the victims were transported. Monday, 12 February was designated as a day of mourning by the Orenburg Government. The head of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Maxim Topilin, stated that all relatives of the victims would be given 2 million rubles (about $35,000) each. President Vladimir Putin cancelled his planned trip to Sochi in response to the disaster. The government stated that he would coordinate with the special commission he had set up.

In the early hours of 12 February, a single survivor, critically injured was found. A man from the Republic of Bashkortostan named Anatoli Purishkevich, barely holding on to life after bandaging his injuries with makeshift bandages consisting of ripped off cloth from his jacket. He is currently hospitalized at the Petrovskiye Vorota hospital. Critically injured and in the intensive care unit, his prognosis is grave and he may not recover.

On 12 February, Saratov Airlines suspended all An-148 flights as well as all of its flights to Orsk. Saratov Airlines resumed its An-148 flights on 16 February after carrying out technical inspections of all the planes.

Aircraft
The aircraft involved in the accident was an Antonov An-148-100B built by Voronezh Aircraft Production Association, registration RA-61704, MSN 27015040004, powered by two Progress D-436 engines. It first flew in May 2010 and was registered to Rossiya Airlines on 23 June 2010. It had been involved in two previous minor incidents in service; an engine was shut down on 28 July 2013 after it surged in flight, and it suffered a nose wheel failure on take-off on 23 August 2013. The aircraft had been leased to Saratov Airlines in February 2017, a year prior to the crash.

Accident
The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger service from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport to Orsk Airport in Orenburg, a city near the border of Kazakhstan, operated by Russian regional carrier Saratov Airlines. The scheduled departure time from Moscow was 14:00. Flight 703 took off from Moscow at around 14:21.

Several minutes after taking off from Moscow, the aircraft's speed and altitude started to fluctuate. Moments before the crash, Flight 703 had gained an altitude of 1800 m and an airspeed of 600 km/h. It then lost altitude rapidly until it disappeared from the radar at an altitude of around 900 m.

The aircraft crashed near the villages of Argunovo and Stepanovskoye in Ramensky District of Moscow Oblast. The accident occurred at 14:27 local time (11:27 UTC), six minutes after take-off from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. According to a source inside the investigation, a few minutes before the crash the pilot of the aircraft told air traffic controllers about a malfunction, and that he planned to make an emergency landing at Zhukovsky. This report was later dismissed by the investigation committee. Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft was in flames during its descent to ground. The crash was caught by a surveillance camera in a nearby house. The footage showed that the aircraft slammed into the ground, and immediately burst into flames.

The Russian prosecutor's office launched criminal proceedings for suspected violations of air traffic safety rules. It found reports that the airline had been banned from operating international routes in 2015, and that these had resumed after a change in policy in 2016. The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Transport (Rostransnadzor) stated that during its examination on the accident aircraft, the airline had violated the procedure for changing oil in the gearboxes, and the procedure for washing the air starter filter.

Passengers and crew
According to the flight manifest, Flight 703 was carrying 65 passengers and 6 crew members. Most of the passengers were residents of Orenburg. The Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that most of the passengers were Russian citizens, while two foreigners – citizens of Azerbaijan and Switzerland – were also on board. Nearly everybody on board was killed. Rescue workers reached the site 2.5 hours after the crash.

The captain was a 51-year-old who had accumulated 5,000 hours of total flying experience, of which 2,800 were on the Antonov An-148. The first officer was 35 years old.

Investigation
The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (Межгосударственный авиационный комитет, МАК) opened an investigation into the accident. President Vladimir Putin also set up a special commission to investigate the crash. Within the first few hours of the investigation, the Ministry of Transport announced two theories regarding the crash — weather conditions and human factors.

The wreckage of Flight 703 was scattered over a wide area. Officials stated that the radius of the crash site area was about one kilometer, which added suspicion that the aircraft possibly had disintegrated in mid-flight. Since a witness stated it was in flames during its descent, a bomb theory was put forward by several investigators. Both flight recorders were found on 12 February.

Saratov Airlines' documents related to the aircraft were impounded as part of the routine investigation. The crash has also caused the Russian Emergency Ministry to discuss whether all Antonov An-148s should be grounded temporarily. Personnel at Moscow Domodedovo Airport were also interviewed.

Russian news agency Rambler News Service (RNS) reported that the pilot of Flight 703 had declined to have the aircraft de-iced before the departure. According to a METAR weather report, the weather at 11:00 included snow showers and a temperature of −5°C at Domodedovo Airport.

On 13 February, MAK reported that initial analysis of data retrieved from the flight data recorder showed that the pitot probe heaters were not turned on and there were discrepancies in the airspeeds being displayed to the pilots, with one airspeed indicator showing increasing airspeed, one showing decreasing airspeed and the other showing no airspeed. The data shows that the aircraft was under manual control when it pitched nose down some 30° below the horizontal and remained in that attitude until it impacted the ground.

Aftermath
A crisis centre was set up at Orsk Airport, where relatives of the victims were transported. Monday, 12 February was designated as a day of mourning by the Orenburg Government. The head of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Maxim Topilin, stated that all relatives of the victims would be given 2 million rubles (about $35,000) each. President Vladimir Putin cancelled his planned trip to Sochi in response to the disaster. The government stated that he would coordinate with the special commission he had set up.

In the early hours of 12 February, a single survivor, critically injured was found. A man from the Republic of Bashkortostan named Anatoli Purishkevich, barely holding on to life after bandaging his injuries with makeshift bandages consisting of ripped off cloth from his jacket. He is currently hospitalized at the Petrovskiye Vorota hospital. Critically injured and in the intensive care unit, his prognosis is grave and he may not recover.

On 12 February, Saratov Airlines suspended all An-148 flights as well as all of its flights to Orsk. Saratov Airlines resumed its An-148 flights on 16 February after carrying out technical inspections of all the planes.

Aircraft
The aircraft involved in the accident was an Antonov An-148-100B built by Voronezh Aircraft Production Association, registration RA-61704, MSN 27015040004, powered by two Progress D-436 engines. It first flew in May 2010 and was registered to Rossiya Airlines on 23 June 2010. It had been involved in two previous minor incidents in service; an engine was shut down on 28 July 2013 after it surged in flight, and it suffered a nose wheel failure on take-off on 23 August 2013. The aircraft had been leased to Saratov Airlines in February 2017, a year prior to the crash.

Accident
The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger service from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport to Orsk Airport in Orenburg, a city near the border of Kazakhstan, operated by Russian regional carrier Saratov Airlines. The scheduled departure time from Moscow was 14:00. Flight 703 took off from Moscow at around 14:21.

Several minutes after taking off from Moscow, the aircraft's speed and altitude started to fluctuate. Moments before the crash, Flight 703 had gained an altitude of 1800 m and an airspeed of 600 km/h. It then lost altitude rapidly until it disappeared from the radar at an altitude of around 900 m.

The aircraft crashed near the villages of Argunovo and Stepanovskoye in Ramensky District of Moscow Oblast. The accident occurred at 14:27 local time (11:27 UTC), six minutes after take-off from Moscow's Domodedovo Airport. According to a source inside the investigation, a few minutes before the crash the pilot of the aircraft told air traffic controllers about a malfunction, and that he planned to make an emergency landing at Zhukovsky. This report was later dismissed by the investigation committee. Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft was in flames during its descent to ground. The crash was caught by a surveillance camera in a nearby house. The footage showed that the aircraft slammed into the ground, and immediately burst into flames.

The Russian prosecutor's office launched criminal proceedings for suspected violations of air traffic safety rules. It found reports that the airline had been banned from operating international routes in 2015, and that these had resumed after a change in policy in 2016. The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Transport (Rostransnadzor) stated that during its examination on the accident aircraft, the airline had violated the procedure for changing oil in the gearboxes, and the procedure for washing the air starter filter.

Passengers and crew
According to the flight manifest, Flight 703 was carrying 65 passengers and 6 crew members. Most of the passengers were residents of Orenburg. The Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that most of the passengers were Russian citizens, while two foreigners – citizens of Azerbaijan and Switzerland – were also on board. Nearly everybody on board was killed. Rescue workers reached the site 2.5 hours after the crash.

The captain was a 51-year-old who had accumulated 5,000 hours of total flying experience, of which 2,800 were on the Antonov An-148. The first officer was 35 years old.

Investigation
The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (Межгосударственный авиационный комитет, МАК) opened an investigation into the accident. President Vladimir Putin also set up a special commission to investigate the crash. Within the first few hours of the investigation, the Ministry of Transport announced two theories regarding the crash — weather conditions and human factors.

The wreckage of Flight 703 was scattered over a wide area. Officials stated that the radius of the crash site area was about one kilometer, which added suspicion that the aircraft possibly had disintegrated in mid-flight. Since a witness stated it was in flames during its descent, a bomb theory was put forward by several investigators. Both flight recorders were found on 12 February.

Saratov Airlines' documents related to the aircraft were impounded as part of the routine investigation. The crash has also caused the Russian Emergency Ministry to discuss whether all Antonov An-148s should be grounded temporarily. Personnel at Moscow Domodedovo Airport were also interviewed.

Russian news agency Rambler News Service (RNS) reported that the pilot of Flight 703 had declined to have the aircraft de-iced before the departure. According to a METAR weather report, the weather at 11:00 included snow showers and a temperature of −5°C at Domodedovo Airport.

On 13 February, MAK reported that initial analysis of data retrieved from the flight data recorder showed that the pitot probe heaters were not turned on and there were discrepancies in the airspeeds being displayed to the pilots, with one airspeed indicator showing increasing airspeed, one showing decreasing airspeed and the other showing no airspeed. The data shows that the aircraft was under manual control when it pitched nose down some 30° below the horizontal and remained in that attitude until it impacted the ground.

Aftermath
A crisis centre was set up at Orsk Airport, where relatives of the victims were transported. Monday, 12 February was designated as a day of mourning by the Orenburg Government. The head of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Maxim Topilin, stated that all relatives of the victims would be given 2 million rubles (about $35,000) each. President Vladimir Putin cancelled his planned trip to Sochi in response to the disaster. The government stated that he would coordinate with the special commission he had set up.

In the early hours of 12 February, a single survivor, critically injured was found. A man from the Republic of Bashkortostan named Anatoli Purishkevich, barely holding on to life after bandaging his injuries with makeshift bandages consisting of ripped off cloth from his jacket. He is currently hospitalized at the Petrovskiye Vorota hospital. Critically injured and in the intensive care unit, his prognosis is grave and he may not recover.

On 12 February, Saratov Airlines suspended all An-148 flights as well as all of its flights to Orsk. Saratov Airlines resumed its An-148 flights on 16 February after carrying out technical inspections of all the planes.