Focus is on faults, not terror

Flight recorders of crashed Russian Tu-154 could be intact, official says

A pilot error or a technical fault not terrorism is likely to be the cause of the plane crash into the Black Sea, Russia's transport minister said on Monday as the nation held a day of mourning for the victims.

All 84 passengers and eight crew members on the Russian military's Tu-154 plane are believed to have died on Sunday morning when it crashed two minutes after taking off from the southern Russian city of Sochi. The passengers included dozens of singers in Russia's world-famous military choir, nine Russian journalists and Russian doctor known for her charity work in war zones.