Flight FZ981 hit the ground short of the runway and exploded, according to news reports from Russia.
“Flydubai regrets to confirm that flight FZ981 crashed on landing and that fatalities have been confirmed as a result of this tragic accident,” the budget airline said in its first comments to the media.
The Doha-based Al Jazeera news network quoted a Russian investigative committee confirming that there were 62 people aboard, saying there were no survivors.
"The aircraft hit the ground and broke into pieces," the Committee said, Al Jazeera reported. "According to preliminary data, there were 55 passengers aboard and 7 crew members. They all died."
Russian news reports said the pilot had abandoned a first attempt at landing due to poor visibility. It was making a second approach when it ploughed into the ground, about 50-100 meters short of the runway. The crash took place at 10:28 pm local time, or 4:50 a.m. Saturday Dubai time.
The plane reportedly circled in the sky for two hours between the first and second attempts at landing.
Flydubai, which began operations in 2009, flies a fleet of 50 Boeing 737-300s. Its destinations include Erbil in the Kurdistan Region.
In January 2015, a flydubai jet was shot at while approaching the Iraq capital, Baghdad, lightly injuring two passengers.
Flydubai is Dubai’s budget airline.
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via Defense News