Russian investigators are probing a serious incident at Moscow Sheremetyevo airport during which a Boeing 737-800 was evacuated after aborting its take-off run.
The Nordwind Airlines aircraft had been operating N4477 to the Armenian capital Yerevan.
It had been scheduled to depart at 00:45 and preliminary analysis indicates that it taxied for an intersection take-off from runway 24C, beginning some 850m from the threshold.
But federal air transport regulator Rosaviatsia says that, during the take-off roll, cabin crew alerted to smoke in the passenger cabin.
“The captain made an informed decision to stop the flight,” it states.
Rosaviatsia says the aircraft was transporting 173 passengers and six crew members, and that those on board evacuated via emergency slides.
Eight passengers sought medical assistance following the evacuation, although the nature of their injuries has not been disclosed.
Rosaviatsia says the passengers were accommodated in the Sheremetyevo terminal building before boarding a reserve aircraft which, according to the airport’s operator, departed at 05:32.
Investigators have established a commission to probe the circumstances of the event. Preliminary data indicates that the aircraft involved was VP-BSZ, which was delivered new to Nordwind just under a year ago, according to Cirium’s Fleets Analyzer.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
