It later became known that the aircraft belonged to the Russian airline Smartavia and was operating a flight from Sochi to Arkhangelsk. The plane was reportedly over the Black Sea when, according to Russian media, the crew transmitted the emergency code 7700.
This code is used in international aviation practice when an abnormal or potentially dangerous situation occurs on board. Its appearance does not always mean a disaster, but it almost always forces dispatchers and ground services to act according to an emergency protocol.
According to preliminary information, the aircraft was a Boeing operated by Smartavia. The flight was supposed to take passengers from the southern city to Arkhangelsk. It is known that the departure was delayed, and after the distress signal appeared, attention to the aircraft increased sharply.
The greatest concern was caused by the fact that, after transmitting the signal, the plane disappeared from radar for a certain period of time. This detail triggered a wave of alarming messages online, as there were reportedly 189 people on board.
At the moment, there is still no complete official picture of the incident. Such situations may be related to a technical malfunction, communication problems, navigation issues, or other circumstances that the crew is required to immediately report to dispatchers.
At the same time, aviation code 7700 does not automatically mean a crash or that the aircraft has gone down. In many cases, after such a signal, the plane continues flying, changes its route, or lands at the nearest suitable airport.
Reports about the incident are still being clarified. For now, it is only known that the flight drew increased attention because of the number of passengers, the distress signal, and the sudden loss of radar visibility.