June 1 (UPI) -- Pilot error likely caused the December 2016 crash of a Russian military plane in which 92 people died, the Russian Defense Ministry announced.
The Tupelov Tu-154 plane crashed into the Black Sea near the city of Sochi.
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Debris from the crash of a Russian Tupelov Tu-154 military plane is carried to shore on December 25. An investigation into the crash, in which the plane fell into the Black Sea near Sochi, Russia, on its way to Syria, concluded Wednesday that pilot error was the likely cause of the crash. Ninety-two people died, with no survivors. Photo by Yevgeny Reutov/EPA
"The investigation has established that the crash could have been caused by spatial disorientation -- situational unawareness -- of the pilot, which resulted in his erroneous actions in piloting the aircraft," the ministry said Wednesday in a statement.
The BBC, citing the Russian-language newspaper Kommersant, reported that evidence points to "somatogravic illusion" on the part of the pilot, Maj. Roman Volkov. The condition can affect a pilot's sense of balance, and experts said Volkov issued incoherent instructions as he steered the plane into a steep dive.
The plane left Sochi on Dec. 25, traveling to Syria, with 84 passengers and eight crew members; all died in the crash. Aboard was the Alexandrov Ensemble, the Russian armed forces choir, on its way to the Russian air base in Hmeymim, Syria, for a New Year's Day concert. Musicians, journalists, and noted human rights advocate and Fair Aid charity director Yelizaveta Glinka, known as "Dr. Liza" were also on board.
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