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MOUNT SALAK, Indonesia – The crash of a new, Russian-made jetliner into a jagged,Indonesian volcano during a flight to impress potential buyersthrew doubt on dozens of plane sales Thursday just as Moscow seeksa comeback in foreign markets. All 45 people aboard were feareddead. Search and rescue teams trudged and climbed through themist-shrouded, jungly terrain for nearly 20 hours to reach the sitewhere the plane roared in at nearly 480 mph (800 kph) on Wednesday,blowing apart and raining debris down a nearly vertical slope. When the weather clears, all recovered bodies will have to behoisted by nets and ropes onto hovering choppers, said GagahPrakoso, a spokesman for the national search and rescue agency. "We're still searching for survivors," he said. "But it doesn'tlook good." The Sukhoi Superjet-100 — Russia's first new model ofpassenger jet since the fall of the Soviet Union two decades ago— was supposed to kick-start the nation's efforts tomodernize its fleet and resurrect its neglected aerospace industry. Indonesia, the fourth stop of a six-nation "Welcome Asia!" tour,was one of Sukhoi's brightest hopes, accounting for a big chunk ofthe 170 orders taken globally so far. Kartika Airlines, Sky Aviation and Queen Air — among dozensof airlines to have popped up in the nation of 240 million to meetthe growing demand for cheap air travel in the last decade —together were aiming to buy 48. "Our plan is to order 30 planes, gradually until 2014, tostrengthen our fleet," said Arifin Seman, one of the top executivesat Kartika. "But we will wait for the result of the investigationbefore making any further decisions." Others, too, were being cautious. "It's too early to say," said Krisman Tarigan, president directorof Sky, which has placed orders for 12. "But we wouldn't rule outcancellation ... if it turned out the crash occurred because theplane was not airworthy." The ill-fated Superjet was carrying dozens of representatives fromlocal airlines and journalists on what was supposed to be a quick,50-minute demonstration flight Wednesday. Some excited passengerssnapped pictures of themselves smiling and waving in front of thetwin-engine jet before lifting off, then quickly posting them asprofile pictures on Facebook and Twitter. Just 21 minutes after takeoff from a Jakarta airfield, however, theRussian pilot and co-pilot asked for permission to drop from 10,000feet to 6,000 feet (3,000 meters to 1,800 meters), said Daryatmo,chief of the national search and rescue agency. They gave no explanation, disappearing from the radar immediatelyafterward. It was not clear why the crew asked to shift course, especiallysince they were so close to the 7,000-foot (2,200-meter) volcano,or whether they got an OK, Daryatmo said. Communication tapes will be reviewed as part of the investigation.It's unlikely they will be released to the public any time soon. The plane, with a relatively low price tag of around $35 million,seats from 70 to 98 people and has an operating range of around2,800 miles (4,500 kilometers). It is seen as a potential challenger to similar-sized aircraft fromCanada's Bombardier Inc. and Brazil's Embraer SA. Future buyers will scrutinize the crash investigation for signs offlaws in the aircraft, said Tom Ballantyne, a Sydney-based aviationexpert. "If it's a technical fault .. then obviously that will be veryserious for them," he said. "But if it's pilot error or the faultof air traffic control, it won't be quite so bad because they'll beable to say, 'Well, it's not the airplane.'" The Superjet made its inaugural commercial flight in April lastyear. Fitch Ratings agency said in a statement Thursday that it expectsthe crash to "negatively affect" Sukhoi orders for the short term. "The accident represents a further setback to the ambitious Russiancivilian aerospace industry," it said, adding that the success ofthe Superjet "is especially important as it is the first of manynew commercial aircraft to be launched." "Instead, it has suffered from a three-year development delay, poorinitial market reception and minor operational difficulties" sinceits entry into commercial service, the agency said. All but 10 of the 45 people on board the plane Wednesday werepotential buyers and journalists, said Sunaryo from PT TrimargaRekatama, the company that helped organize the event. The others were Russians, all from Sukhoi companies, an Americanconsultant with a local airline and a Frenchman with aircraftengine-maker Snecma. ___ Associated Press writers Ali Kotarumalos and Niniek Karmini inJakarta, Indonesia, and Margie Mason in Hanoi, Vietnam, contributedto this report. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as China Modern Throw Pillows , China Dining Chair Cushions, and more. For more , please visit Modern Throw Pillows today!
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