Jet crashes, another lost over Russia

MOSCOW -- A Russian airliner crashed and a second disappeared from radar moments later Tuesday night, leading President Vladimir V. Putin to order an investigation into possible terrorism.

The two planes, which left from Moscow's Domodedovo airport 40 minutes apart, carried about 90 people, authorities said. There was no word on survivors, Russian news agencies reported.

The Russian news agency Interfax reported that a hijacking signal was activated on the second plane before it went missing. The signal came at 11:04 p.m. from the Tu-154 airliner, Interfax quoted the source in Russia's "power structures" as saying.

In Washington, a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity Tuesday evening, said it was the understanding of American officials that the two Russian planes disappeared within four minutes of each other, which "in and of itself is suspicious."

Separately, a U.S. counterterrorism official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was no threat reporting to indicate a threat to U.S. aircraft or to U.S. aircraft in Russia.

The U.S. Homeland Security Department was monitoring the situation but was not implementing any additional security measures in the United States, spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said.

The incidents came amid fears that separatist rebels in Russia's war-torn southern republic of Chechnya might launch attacks before Sunday's presidential election, which a Kremlin-backed candidate is expected to win. The election is to pick a successor to Akhmad Kadyrov, who was assassinated in a May bombing.

Chechen separatists have been accused of terrorist attacks in various places in Russia in recent years. Last week, guerrillas carried out a major raid in the Chechen capital of Grozny.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Chechen groups have claimed some terror attacks and have denied others that the Russians have blamed on them.

Domodedovo airport continued to operate, but additional security measures were implemented, Interfax reported. The stepped-up security was originally ordered after a bomb exploded at a bus stop in Moscow at about 7:40 p.m. Tuesday, the news agency said, quoting civil aviation authorities.

At least three people were reported injured in that blast, which came before the two aircraft were reported to have disappeared from radar, just a few minutes apart.

Security was also reported tightened at Sheremetyevo, Moscow's main international airport and at other airports across the country.

According to Interfax, witnesses reported seeing an explosion on board one of the planes just before it crashed about 100 miles south of Moscow.

The Emergency Situations Ministry said a Tu-134 airliner with 35 passengers and eight crew members en route from Moscow to Volgograd crashed late Tuesday evening.

However, Mikhail Muzrayev, deputy prosecutor of the Volgograd region, who announced the crash to people waiting for the plane's arrival at the Volgograd airport, said there were a total of 41 people on board, Itar-Tass reported.

Wreckage of the Tu-134, including the tail of the plane and parts of the fuselage, was found near the village of Buchalki in the Tula region, the ministry said. The crew had not reported any problems before the crash, the Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported. The Tu-134 was owned by Volga-Aviaexpress, Interfax reported.

The second plane was reported missing in a region about 600 miles south of Moscow. Air traffic controllers lost contact with the second plane about three minutes after losing contact with the first. The second plane was a Tu-154 with 44 passengers and eight crew on board, the ministry said.

Contact with the plane, which was flying from Moscow to the Black Sea resort of Sochi, was lost when it was near the southern city of Rostov-on-Don. Hours later that plane, owned and operated by the major Russian air carrier Sibir, was reported still missing. It had been in service since 1982, Interfax reported.

Russian civil aviation has had a checkered past and the Tu series of planes have been especially vulnerable to safety complaints.

Volga-Aviaexpress general director Yuri Baichkin was the pilot of the Tu-134 airliner that crashed near Tula, Interfax reported, quoting a company source.

"Baichkin is a professional pilot who regularly steers our liners," a company source told the news agency. "The crew is experienced, and the plane is not old and performed only two flights on that day. It is clear that neither the plane, nor the crew can be blamed for the crash."

Volga-Aviaexpress is a small regional air company that owns two Tu- 134A and four YAK-42D planes.