NO EQUIPMENT IN SOUTH OF RUSSIA FOR LIFTING FLIGHT RECORDERS

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.05.2006 00:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Fragments of A-320 plane lie at the depth of 680
meters and there is no equipment in the South of Russia capable to
lift the flight recorders, stated Russian Minister of Transport Igor
Levitin. In his words, “many fragments are discovered at the place,
where the signal of flight recorders is registered. However the depth
is too much – 680 meters. We believe it is the place where the crash
took place. Russia is going to ask other countries for assistance to
lift A-320 plane fragments,” Levitin noted. Today French specialists
by means of special equipment registered the radio signal in the
area, where the plane fell. The flight recorders may be the source
of the signal.

BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS CANNOT BE ONLY AND DECISIVE CAUSE OF CRASH

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.05.2006 00:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Bad weather conditions cannot be the only and
decisive cause of the crash of A-320 Armenian plane, former chief of
the General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia Dmitry Atbashyan
said. In his words, the weather on the night of the catastrophe was
indeed bad. “There are usually several causes of a crash, specifically,
bad visibility, lack of fuel and rain,” he remarked.

Atbashyan also doubted some details of A-320 plane crash. “Seeing a
plane fall into the water 6 km away from the coast is hard at 3-km
visibility. I do not believe this report,” Atbashyan underscored,
reports the Second Channel of Armenia.

RECORD OF CONVERSATION OF PILOT WITH GEORGIAN DISPATCHERS DECODED

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.05.2006 01:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The record of conversation of A-320 airbus pilot
with Georgian dispatchers a few minutes before the crash of the liner
is decoded. The record is not too clear, not everything can be heard,
but it lets concluding that the crew until the last moment did not
rule out opportunity of return to Yerevan.

Dispatcher: “Specify once again. At the moment 340 will be(”

Pilot: “Yes, 340 still. As the airport is ( Closed ( Then it will be
clear what to do.”

Dispatcher: “Rostov wants to know how much fuel you have and reserve.”

Pilot: “We are returning to Yerevan.”

Dispatcher: “Right now or later(”

Pilot: “Now, they have there 150 by 1500 for two hours.”

Dispatcher: “Ok, got you.”

REGIONAL OIL SUMMIT OPENS IN SERBIA’S NOVI SAD

Radio B92 text website, Belgrade
4 May 06

Novi Sad, 4 May: A two-day summit of international oil companies has
begun in Vojvodina. The fuel companies make up the Scout Group for
East and Central Europe. According to a statement from the Serbian
Oil Industry (NIS), companies from 21 countries will be participating
in the summit, including Shell, [Hungary’s] MOL, [Austria’s] OMV
and others.

NIS has announced that some of the most important projects which are
currently being realized by the companies would be presented at the
summit, adding that these meetings would enable Serbia to establish
greater business contacts and more direct forms of cooperation with
these companies.

The Scout Group for East and Central Europe encourages cooperation
and the voluntary exchange of correct and timely information regarding
the research and production of oil in regional countries, and offers
business-related cooperation between members of the group.

The group was founded in 1993 and includes oil companies from Albania,
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic,
Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland,
Romania, Russia, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and
Serbia-Montenegro.

TURKEY CONDOLES ON PLANE CRASH

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.05.2006 01:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul sent a message
to his Armenian counterpart Vartan Oskanian and expressed sincere
condolences to relatives of Armenian citizens killed in the crash.

Turkish sources confirmed that Gul’s message of condolence to Vartan
Oskanian would be sent to Yerevan through diplomatic channels. They
didn’t provide any more details, The New Anatolian reports.

SPECIAL BANK ACCOUNTS

AZG Armenian Daily
05/05/2006

Upon request of foreign organizations and individuals, special bank
accounts are opened to support the families of the perished aboard
the flight Yerevan-Flight.

Inecobank (AMD) – 20 500 22 17 060 1003

Armsavingsbank (ruble) – 160 48 200 54 53

Armeconombank (USD) – 16 300 81 23 743

Armeconombank (euro) – 16 300 81 23 750

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WILL TRAGEDY ALWAYS BE OUR TEACHER?
By Hakob Avetikian

AZG Armenian Daily
05/05/2006

The morning hours of May 3 plunged our country into alarming grief. The
news of the tragedy has already spread when starting from 10.00 am
all local TV channels suddenly began airing details of the crash as
though receiving an order from a common headquarters.

Though today we have modern European jets and safety equipments and
services at the airport, the slovenliness that becomes a distinctive
feature of Armenian identity and is incompatible with air navigation
and our dislike for order were a serious concern for aviation
employees.

Planes of the best international air carriers also crash due to weather
conditions, flight controllers’ mistakes, technical failure or the
crew’s mistake. No air carrier is safeguarded against this. Neither
is Armavia.

Yet, air navigation is a sphere where all kinds of defects should be
excluded. Otherwise we will such tragedies.

Another bad trait in our identity – careless attitude towards the
others’ pain – came out again on May 3 when starting from the noon
TV channels aired the names of the perished passengers. The names
were also hung at the airport. No middle names were put in. No one,
fortunately, can guarantee that all passengers are dead. No one could
be 100 percent sure that Armavia roll was correct. Who can measure
the sorrow that numerous citizens went through while approaching the
rolls and reading the names of relatives or friends?

Once again we had to learn from our tragedies.

ARTSAKH IS MIGHTY WITH ITS FRIENDS
By Kim Gabrielian in Stepanakert

AZG Armenian Daily
05/05/2006

A considerable number of schools in Artsakh were built or repaired
on charity money in the recent years.

The new school building of Shekher village in Martuni region was built
on donations of Karpis Nikoghosian, French-Armenian benefactor and
chairman of the French Association for Artsakhi Relief, in 2002. These
days Karpis Nikoghosian was again in Shekher, villagers of which
consider him their countryman who lives in France. During each visit
the benefactor has a present with him. This time was no exception.

Mr. Nikoghosian arrived in Shekher accompanied by the city
construction minister of Nagorno Karabakh Republic and the head of
“Capital Construction” State Non-Commercial Organization. This time
Mr. Nikoghosian plans to build a gym for the school that will be 24
meters by 12 with an overall cost of $140 thousand.

The building expenses will be covered from donations of the
French-Armenian community. Construction works will kick off in
early summer.

The gym will not simply serve as a ground for physical culture classes
but will also serve the groups of amateur performances. In the Soviet
times theatrical groups of Shekher were famous not only in Martuni
region but also in other places of Nagorno Karabakh.

Besides helping Shekher in school construction, each year the
Nikoghosian family provides money for 3 students from the village to
pay tuition fees.

Residents of Shekher say: “Shekher has a prosperous future as it has
such a friend as Karpis Nikoghosian.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MOURNING DAYS IN ARMENIA AND RUSSIA

A1+
[12:00 pm] 05 May, 2006

Today in Armenia and Russia the state flags will be lowered in memory
of the victims of the May 3 aircrash.

May 5 in Russia and May 5 and 6 in Armenia are officially declared
mourning days. The record boxes of the plane A-320 which belonged
to “Armavia” have not yet been found. As a result of the crash 105
passengers and the 8-person crew of the plane perished.

By now only 53 bodies have been found 41 of which have been
recognized. 26 bodies have been transported to Armenia already. The
searches for new bodies and the record boxes are going on.

RELATIVES GIVE BLOOD

A1+
[12:06 pm] 05 May, 2006

In Sochi the relatives of the victims of the air crash are already
giving their blood for DNA analysis, RA Minister of Transportation
Igor Levitin informed.

Let us remind you that only 41 of the 53 bodies have been recognized.

The Minister also informed that by the request of the relatives of
the victims in Sochi a monument will be erected in memory of the
victims of the air crash of the plane A-320.