Post date: May 09, 2012 2:26:31 PM
MOSCOW, RUSSIA (REUTERS) - A Russian Sukhoi passenger plane with 46 people on board, including businessmen and Russian envoys, has gone missing during a demonstration flight over West Java in Indonesia, officials said on Wednesday (May 9).
Russian Sukhoi Superjet-100 goes missing over Indonesia.
Indonesia's search and rescue agency said radio contact was lost with the plane after it descended to 6,000 feet. The Indonesia military said the plane "fell" from the sky.
The plane was carrying Indonesian businessmen and Russian embassy officials, the Indonesian transport ministry said.
"The plane was doing the first flight around midday and returned to the airport, but when it took off the second time, it lost contact around Bogor," said Bambang Ervan, the transport ministry spokesman.
Olga Kayukova, a spokeswoman for Russia's United Aircraft Corporation, told Reuters the Sukhoi Superjet-100 was on a second flight as part of a demonstration programme in Indonesia.
"The first flight was carried out in a normal mode ... The pre-flight preparations were carried out in full and the plane was completely ready to fly," she said.
"According to information from Indonesia, the contact with the plane was broken after 20 minutes from the take off, at 1435 local time. Search works are under way."
Local television reported that a search operation would be carried out from early on Thursday (May 10).
The Sukhoi's Superjet 100, with a capacity of 68-103 passengers, was developed in partnership with Boeing and Italy's Finmeccanica.
Sukhoi, which has orders for 170 planes, plans to produce up to 1,000 superjets, primarily for foreign markets.