Anton Sokolov/Thinkstock(MOSCOW) — Investigators say the December crash of a Russian military plane in the Black Sea, which killed 92 people, was likely caused by pilot error, according to the BBC.
The military flight, which was carrying members of the Alexandrov musical ensemble, was en route to Syria, where they were expected to perform for Russian troops.
Analysis of the flight data suggests the pilot “lost his bearings” and believed the Tupolev jet was climbing too sharply, the BBC reports. Tiredness may have also been a factor.
The plane had taken off earlier that morning from a military base near Moscow and refueled at Sochi’s Adler airport.
The Russian defense ministry’s report, which marks the end of the official investigation, said the cause “could have been disruption of the flight captain’s spatial and situational awareness, which led to him making errors.” However, it states there were no violations of refueling rules or any external factors.
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