Rescuers in Indonesia today found bodies near the wreckage of a new Russian-made passenger plane that smashed into the side of a volcano on a flight to impress potential buyers and journalists.
All 45 people on board are feared dead. Authorities lost contact with the Sukhoi Superjet-100 yesterday shortly after it took off from a Jakarta airfield carrying mostly representatives from Indonesian airlines.
The Russian pilot and co-pilot had sought permission to descend from 10,000 feet to 6,000 feet, said the national search and rescue agency.
It was not clear why they asked for the shift in course, he said, especially when they were so close to the 7,000ft volcano, or if they got permission.
It is Russia’s first new passenger jet since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
