BRAKE FAILURE WAS THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF SUNDAY'S PLANE CRASH IN SIBERIA IN WHICH AT LEAST 124 PASSENGERS AND CREW DIED, ACCORDING TO INITIAL REPORTS. RUSSIAN NEWS AGENCY RIA-NOVOSTI, CITING AN UNNAMED OFFICIAL, REPORTED THAT THE PLANE'S HYDRAULIC BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AFTER THE PLANE LANDED, LEADING OTHER SYSTEMS ON THE AIRCRAFT TO FAIL. WET CONDITIONS ON THE RUNWAY MAY HAVE WORSENED THE SITUATION, INTERFAX NEWS AGENCY QUOTED AN AVIATION OFFICIAL AS SAYING. INVESTIGATORS, HOWEVER, MUST EXAMINE THE PLANE'S TWO FLIGHT RECORDERS BEFORE CONFIRMING A CONCLUSIVE CAUSE FOR THE CRASH, DPA REPORTED. THE RUSSIAN AIRBUS A-310 JETLINER RACED OUT OF CONTROL WHILE LANDING AND BURST INTO FLAMES IN THE EASTERN SIBERIAN CITY OF IRKUTSK. THE SIBIR (S7) AIRLINE JET ARRIVING FROM MOSCOW WITH 200 PEOPLE ON BOARD OVERSHOT THE RUNWAY AT 7:44 AM SUNDAY (22:44 GMT SATURDAY), SMASHED THROUGH A CONCRETE FENCE, STRUCK GARAGES AND CAUGHT FIRE. MANY OF THE PASSENGERS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CHILDREN TRAVELLING TO THE HOLIDAY RESORT OF LAKE BAIKAL. REVISING AN EARLIER FIGURE OF 55 SURVIVORS, PROSECUTORS SAID 71 PEOPLE ESCAPED FROM THE WRECKAGE THROUGH THE REAR OF THE JET, MANY OF THEM SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE FRONT OF THE FUSELAGE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY THE BLAZE, WHICH TOOK FIREFIGHTERS THREE HOURS TO EXTINGUISH. INVESTIGATORS WERE TRYING TO ESTABLISH HOW THE PLANE WENT OUT OF CONTROL AFTER THE PILOT TOLD GROUND CONTROLLERS THAT IT HAD LANDED.
