24-8-2023 (MOSCOW) An Embraer Legacy 600 executive jet, believed to have transported Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, experienced a sudden and precipitous drop in its final 30 seconds before crashing, according to flight-tracking data.
Russia’s aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, confirmed that Prigozhin, who led an unsuccessful mutiny in June, was among the 10 individuals onboard the ill-fated plane. The aircraft was en route from Moscow to St Petersburg when it went down near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Tver Region, as reported by Russia’s emergency situations ministry.
At 3:19 pm, the plane underwent a sudden vertical descent, as stated by Ian Petchenik of Flightradar24. Within approximately 30 seconds, the aircraft plummeted more than 8,000 feet from its cruising altitude of 28,000 feet.
Petchenik remarked, “Whatever happened, happened quickly.” He further added, “They may have been wrestling (with the aircraft) after whatever happened.” However, prior to the dramatic drop, there were no indications of any issues with the aircraft.
Video footage captured the aircraft descending rapidly, with its nose pointing almost directly downward and a plume of smoke or vapor trailing behind it.
Russian investigators have initiated a criminal investigation to determine the cause of the crash. Some unnamed sources cited by Russian media speculated that the plane may have been shot down by one or more surface-to-air missiles. However, Reuters has not been able to verify this information.
Embraer SA, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, stated that it had not provided any services or support to the plane in recent years. The luxury jet, which can accommodate approximately 13 passengers, bears the registration RA-02795, matching the plane that transported Prigozhin to Belarus following the mutiny, according to an industry insider.
The online flight tracker, Flightradar24, last recorded the aircraft’s position at 3:11 pm before the crash. It is likely that jamming or interference in the area hindered the collection of additional location data.
Other data was captured for a duration of nine minutes. Flightradar24 reported that the jet underwent a series of ascents and descents, each spanning a few thousand feet, within a 30-second timeframe preceding its final and tragic plunge. Flightradar24 received its final data on the jet at 3:20 pm.
