video transcript

At least four people are killed when a Russian airliner crashes onto a highway outside Moscow. Eight crew members were on board when the plane broke into pieces after it slid off the runway. Witnesses told state TV they saw a man thrown from the plane as it rammed into the barrier of the highway. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) COLONEL YURI BESEDIN, RUSSIAN EMERGENCIES MINISTRY, SAYING: "Upon landing an engine failed - or according to other reports, there was a fire in the engine. The plane overshot a runway and was destroyed." The crash came during peak holiday travel ahead of Russia's New Year's vacation. Russian investigators say preliminary findings point to pilot error. The crash cast a spotlight on the country's poor air-safety record despite President Vladimir Putin's calls to improve controls. The pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer and a flight attendant were killed in the crash. The four other crew members are in a serious condition in the hospital.