Russian airlines were advised Sunday to ground some of their workhorse Tu-154 airplanes after one burst into flames while it readied for takeoff on a Siberian runway, killing three people. More than 30 people were also injured on Saturday when one of the engines of the Tupolev jet exploded moments before the plane had been due to take off for Moscow from the oil-rich northern city of Surgut.
Dramatic television footage replayed on Russian television showed the plane bursting into a fireball and only one of its wings and the tail section left standing after the flames were put out a few hours later.
Russian state television reported that the Kolavia airline jet was manufactured in 1983 and had last undergone renovations 12 years ago. The airline reported on its website that it was oldest craft in its tiny fleet.
The latest Russian aviation disaster prompted a series of top-level government meetings over the weekend that concluded with a recommendation for some of the older models of the Tupolev 154 jet to be put out of service.
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