Russian Plane Crash Latest Update: Tu-154 Was Trying To Turn Before Crashing Into The Black Sea

Russia’s Tu-154 plane that crashed on Christmas was reportedly trying to make a right turn at 500 kilometers (about 300 miles) per hour before it plunged into the Black Sea, according to Tass. Sources within Russia’s law enforcement told the Russian news site Tuesday that the crash occurred when pilots were trying to retract spoilers.

When spoilers are extracted, they increase the plane’s airlift, which could have been one of the reasons behind the deadly crash, according to the source. A plane’s pitch angle being too high could cause an aircraft to rock while the plane’s nose is too high, resulting in loss of airlift control, the source said.

“For yet to be established reasons the plane’s pitch angle was too great. Apparently the plane deviated from its designated path while making a right turn. As a result it flew into the water at a speed of about 510 kilometers per hour," the source told Tass.

Sources involved in the investigation believe the plane crash could have occurred because of a number of reasons. However, crew error and technical problems within one of the engines are typically at the forefront of crash causes.

After retrieving fragments of the military plane’s wreckage, authorities determined an explosion or on-board fire wasn’t responsible for the crash.

"The four main versions are an engine being hit by a foreign object, substandard fuel that caused the loss of thrust on and eventually stopped the engines, the pilot’s mistake and the plane’s technical failure," Russia’s Federal Security Service said in a statement.

Other plane experts in Russia told local media that a bird could have hit the plane’s engine, which could have also caused the crash.

The crash reportedly occurred about 2 minutes after the plane’s liftoff, resulting in the deaths of 92 people including members of the famous Alexandrov military choir.