Booking her flight just hours before, Anna Sergeeva was flying to Rostov-on-Don airport in southern Russia via FlyDubai when the plane was destroyed on impact. Her final selfie, taken while on board, has been shared online after the 25-year-old Ukrainian beautician and 61 others were killed on Saturday morning.
Anna had lived in Dubai for just four months.
People have placed flowers, candles and toys in memory of the victims of the crashed Boeing 737-800 flight FZ981 operated by Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai, outside the Rostov airport. After circling for hours in poor weather, the plane came down while attempting to make a repeated attempt. Four children were among the people killed when the plane crashed down at 4am.
It all came down to visibility. When asked what their visibility range was, the pilots replied 5km. They were constantly asking if the weather had improved down below. Piloted by Cypriot Aristos Sokratous (left) and co-pilot Spaniard Alejandro Álava Cruz, the Investigative Committee of Russia said it is looking into a pilot error or a technical failure as the most likely causes for the plane crash.
Both pilots left behind wives who are expecting. This was expected to be one of 38-year-old Sokratous’ final flights with the airline, as he was planning to return to live in his native Cyprus.
Everyone at flydubai is in deep shock and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those involved. We don’t yet know all the details of the accident but we are working closely with the authorities to establish the cause. We are making every effort to care for those affected and will provide assistance to the loved ones of those on board.