The five nuclear experts killed in a plane crash in northern Russia earlier this week had assisted in the design of an Iranian atomic facility, security sources in Russia said on Thursday. The five Russian experts were among the 44 passengers killed when the Tupolev-134 plane broke up and caught fire on landing outside the northern city of Petrozavodsk on Monday. The experts – who included lead designers Sergei Rizhov, Gennadi Benyok, Nicolai Tronov and Russia’s top nuclear technological experts, Andrei Tropinov – worked at Bushehr after the contract for the plant’s construction passed from the German Siemens company to Russian hands.
The five were employed at the Hydropress factory, a member of Russia’s state nuclear corporation, and one of the main companies to contracted for the Bushehr construction. The sources said that the death of the scientists is a great blow to the Russian nuclear industry. The experts were tasked with completing construction of the plant and for ensuring that it would be able to survive an earthquake.
According to the sources, although Iranian nuclear scientists have in the past been involved in unexplained accidents and plane crashes, there is no official suspicion of foul play. Investigators are investigating human error and technical malfunction as the causes of the crash.
Well, if I were a suspicious person………..nahhhhhh.
Like Israel would take on Russia. I’m sure Russia has lots of other nuclear scientists, and this isn’t a blow to her industry at all.
Get ready for the re-emergence of the “Man Never Landed on the Moon” conspiracy nuts.
Who said anything about Israel?
Let’s see, a bunch of people who probably work together all the time, travel together frequently, and fly on Russian airlines – and they die in the same plane crash.
Nah, it can’t be a coincidence, it must be a conspiracy.
Despite the fact that Russian history is full of conspiracies, I think this one is a case of, “Never attribute to malice what can be attributed to incompetence.”
Schneier on Security: Conspiracy Theories: http://schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/08/conspiracy_theo.html
#6 You are most likely correct but just the same knock on wood and say a thank you to the Fates.
Question; How do I know the US is now a second rate power? When I hear the US military is whining about poor quality in parts out of China without which our hardware does not work.
When you can’t field your first line units without logistics support from another country they can stop you any time they want to. They don’t even have to use their weapons systems to do it.
#7, We should steal their technology and make cheap knock-offs in the USA.
#3, the mention of accidents for Iranian scientists is a link to Israel. Now if you are suggesting the Russians offed their own scientists, in a way to not appear to backstab Iran while satisfying the West, that is very interesting.
Israel is like a badger with rabies.
Not afraid of anyone, anywhere, any time.
So far that strategy has worked. So far.
And anyone who thinks the mossad can’t keep a secret is insane.
Too bad for the other 39 people.
IF… and only if this was not an accident, wouldn’t this be an act of terrorism?
Even if coincidence, a ‘message’ to others becomes loud and clear.
What the heck is in Petrozavodsk, or the Republic of Karelia, of which it is the capital, that’s of interest to a whole group of nuclear reactor designers?
# 7 deowll When you can’t field your first line units without logistics support from another country
Lord knows we can’t PAY the troops without help from China.
Hmm, does sound a tad fishy. I doubt anyone would take out that many innocents just to snuff out 5 people though.But you never know…for the good of the many maybe?
Regarding conspiracy theorists I have a friend who is into that stuff big time. Great guy,very smart, but has some funny ideas sometimes. Not so sure he believes in the stuff as much as it is just entertainment for him (big sci-fi fan). The latest one he told me to google was this.
http://www.galacticroundtable.com/forum/topics/gulf-of-aden-stargate-aka
I am not really buying into this whole stargate thing btw. At least not until Morgan Freeman mentions it sometime, lol.
>> MRN said, on June 23rd, 2011 at 11:05 am
>> IF… and only if this was not an accident, wouldn’t this be an act of terrorism?
Of course it would be.
But it will never be “PC” to say it.
And it isn’t just Israel. America has blown up car bombs (and whole streets with it!) and blown-up whole building to get a couple of people inside.
Yet hardly anyone in America dares label that terrorism.
>> bbjester said, on June 23rd, 2011 at 7:55 pm
>> Hmm, does sound a tad fishy. I doubt anyone would take out that many innocents just to snuff out 5 people
Except every time America sends a “smart” bomb into an Afghan village or Libyan compound.
#18. Hey! Those are democracy love bombs chump, and don’t you ever forget it.
Whose side are you on anyway, the freedom fighters (Al Queda) or the terrorists?
I thought the improbable event was a Russian Transport NOT crashing on landing?
Ok, that was a cheap shot. Russkies having very competent design engineers and what not but in reality somewhat failing in the more mundane things of maintenance and information systems?
But yeah, over and over again we learn it is not good to send “teams” of anything all together on the same plane/boat/train. Its a risk–to be managed like all others.
“But yeah, over and over again we learn it is not good to send “teams” of anything all together on the same plane/boat/train. Its a risk–to be managed like all others.”
Murphy’s Law…stuff happens.
Sometimes we get lucky. An aircraft sucks down several geese into the jet engines during takeoff, for instance. In that case, the plane just happened to be piloted by one of the most competent pilots out there.
Ok good one McCullough you may want to add this
1. The ATC send them on secondary approach
2. they airport turned the landing lights OFF minutes before landing
3. The Airport in not equipped with ILS there for only VFR landing, and at 300 m visibility with low fog its near impossible without lights.
4. The change of the aircraft only about 1 hour prior to departure
5. oh and last but not least the flight was operated by rusair and shared code with Rusline, rusline also has “special charter” flight.
but yeah it is a coincidence im sure …..
Let’s see if there’s enough data that comes out of this for Jack Cashill to come up with a column.
After Ron Brown crashed on his Enron business trip, the guy in charge of air traffic control committed suicide before the FBI could interview him.
15 Worst Books to Read on an Airplane:
http://huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/24/15-worst-books-to-read-on-a-plane_n_883706.html?utm_campaign=062411&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Alert-comedy&utm_content=FullStory&utm_term=Comedy%20Brief#s295805&title=Flying_Drunk
Coincidence or not if those guys where really so important to the Russian nuclear industry how come they where allowed to board the same plane ?