== Flyet ==
Det nedstyrtede fly var af typen Tupolev 154B-2,<ref name=ASN/><ref name=Sputnik251216>{{cite web|url=https://sputniknews.com/russia/201612251048969134-tu154-plane-crash/|title=Disappeared Russian TU-154 Aircraft Possibly Crashed in Mountains – Source|first=|last=Sputnik|work=sputniknews.com|access-date=25. december 2016|archive-date=12. maj 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512053656/https://sputniknews.com/russia/201612251048969134-tu154-plane-crash/|url-status=live}}</ref> med registreringsnummer RA-85572, 83A-572,<ref name=ASN/> der havde været i drift siden 1983,<ref>{{cite web |title=Туполев Ту-154Б-2 |trans-title=Tupolev Tu-154B-2 |publisher=Russianplanes.net |url=http://russianplanes.net/reginfo/2888 |access-date=26. december 2016 |archive-date=26. december 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226054240/http://russianplanes.net/reginfo/2888 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rbth.com/politics_and_society/2016/12/25/live-debris-of-tu-154-plane-found-near-sochi-coast_667721|title=Monday declared day of mourning following Tu-154 crash near Sochi &#124; Russia Beyond The Headlines|first=Gleb|last=Fedorov|date=25. december 2016|work=rbth.com|access-date=25. december 2016|archive-date=29. december 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229064711/http://rbth.com/politics_and_society/2016/12/25/live-debris-of-tu-154-plane-found-near-sochi-coast_667721|url-status=live}}</ref> og havde fløjet 6.689 timer.<ref name=ASN/><ref name=Reuters25Dec16>{{cite news|title=All 92 on Syria-bound Russian military jet killed in crash, including 60 from Red Army Choir|publisher=Reuters|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-airplane-idUSKBN14E02Y|date=25. december 2016|access-date=26. december 2016|archive-date=26. december 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226165946/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-airplane-idUSKBN14E02Y|url-status=live}}</ref>
Historie