This aircraft was ordered new by Ansett - ?

Finance was provided by Banque National de Paris (BNP) / Credit Lyonnais

First flown at Toulouse as 'F-WWIU' - June 28, 1995

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-HYO - August 07, 1995

Registered to Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd, Melbourne

The aircraft was configured with 24 First Class and 108 Economy Class seats but this was variable

Accepted by Ansett at Toulouse - August 30, 1995

Departed Toulouse on the delivery flight to Australia as AN4290 - August 31, 1995

It arrived at Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the delivery flight - September 03, 1995

Delivery route: Toulouse - Dubai - Mauritius - Perth - Melbourne

Flight crew: Captains F. Boomsma, M. Rindfleish

Operated its first revenue service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Adelaide (West Beach) as AN91 - September 22, 1995

Operated its last commercial service Perth - Melbourne (Tullamarine) as AN166 - September 13, 2001

Ansett ceased operations due to bankruptcy - September 13, 2001

Re-entered Ansett service under administration Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Sydney as AN702 - October 12, 2001

Operated its final revenue service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Perth as AN185 - March 04, 2002

Flight crew: Captain A. Clarke; F/O M. Fiskler

Ferried Perth - Melbourne (Tullamarine) as AN4040 - March 05, 2002

Prepared for long term storage at Melbourne (Tullamarine)

Ansett Engineering quote the aircraft had flown 22,367 hours with 12,095 cyles - June 27, 2002

Test flown at Melbourne (Tullamarine) as AN4089 - September 10, 2002

Departed Melbourne on return to Credit Lyonnais, France as AN40 - October 28, 2002

It arrived at Bordeaux, France on completion of the ferry flight - October 30, 2002

Ferry route: Melbourne - Perth - Cocos Island - Male - Cairo - Bordeaux

Flight crew: Captain M. Rindfleish; F/O D. Jordan; Engineers A. Scicluna, L. Robin

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - November 08, 2002

Entered onto the French Aircraft Register as F-WQSB - ?

OIt was oserved at Bordeaux in the standard Ansett Australia 'Starmark' livery - June 13, 2003

Leased to Armavia - February 2004

Entered onto the Armenian Aircraft Register as EK32009 - February 2004

Ferried Bordeaux - Yerevan on delivery to Armavia - February 06, 2004

Ferried to Maastricht for repainting into the new Armavia livery - October 28, 2004

The aircraft was destroyed when it crashed into the sea on approach to Adler-Sochi, Russia - May 03, 2006

It was operating the flight Yerevan - Sochi as UR-967 with 108 passengers and 7 crew aboard

The crash occurred whilst it was amaking its second emergency landing attempt in very poor weather conditions

The aircraft had flown more than 28,200 hours with 14,400 cycles at the time of the crash

The aircraft's flight data recorders were recovered and sent for analysis

Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee uncovered no anomalities that could have caused the crash

The aircraft was not destroyed until it hit the water

Engines were operating normally and enough fuel was present to complete the flight

For details regarding this accident please click 'HERE' and 'HERE'