Horrifying footage of the incident emerged online but it is still not clear how the man managed to escape security and run in the proximity of the aircraft. The passenger jet, bound for Athens, was taking off at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport on Tuesday evening when Albert Yepremyan, 25, broke free and ran onto the runway. Authorities said the victim had been hit by the landing gear of the plane.
An unnamed airport official commented on the incident, saying: “The man went through the airport gate during boarding for a Moscow-Yerevan flight, went to the bus, but quickly headed towards the runway instead of getting in.
“On the flight from Madrid, Mr Yepremyan had started a fight.
“After landing, police were called on board and detained him.”
Airport sources claim the crew of the Athens-bound plane thought they had hit something “during acceleration” but “decided not to return the aircraft to the airport of departure, as the systems did not signal damage”.
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The aircraft safely landed at Athens International airport later that evening.
The airport crews discovered damage to the fuselage and human remains on the exterior of the jet.
The aircraft has been temporarily grounded.
Sledkom, Russia’s main federal investigation body, said in a statement that it had opened a criminal case over Mr Yepremyan’s death.
The statement reads: “After going through the check-in procedure for the flight, the man gathered with other passengers and proceeded to board the aircraft.
“Subsequently, under circumstances that are not currently understood, the young man, when boarding an apron bus, proceeded towards the airport runways.
“After that, the man stepped on to the runway number two in the area of the alpha taxiway, where he was fatally injured by the acceleration of the Boeing 737 aircraft.”
Sledkom also released footage online of the aftermath of the death, showing clothes and blood across the runway.