Plane Crash in Russia Kills All 77 Aboard

An Aeroflot jetliner crashed on a landing approach in a city northeast of Moscow late Thursday night, killing 77 people aboard, an Aeroflot spokesman said.

The crash occurred at 10:45 p.m. as the TU-134, with 72 passengers and five crew members, was preparing to land at the city of Ivanovo, 120 miles northeast of Moscow, the spokesman said on condition of anonymity.

There was no immediate word on what caused the crash.

The plane had been flying to Ivanovo from Mineralnyye Vody, in southern Russia via Donetsk, in Ukraine.

The Soviet-made Tupolev 134, with twin turbofan engines, is about the same size as a Boeing 737 and seats between 80 and 96 passengers, according to Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft.

First used in 1963, the plane was a mainstay for national airlines in the former Soviet Bloc, but is no longer produced. In the mid-1980s about 700 were in service.