At least four people are killed when a Russian airliner crashes onto a highway outside Moscow.<br/> <br />Eight crew members were on board when the plane broke into pieces after it slid off the runway.<br/> <br />Witnesses told state TV they saw a man thrown from the plane as it rammed into the barrier of the highway.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) COLONEL YURI BESEDIN, RUSSIAN EMERGENCIES MINISTRY, SAYING:<br/> <br />"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."<br/> <br />The crash came during peak holiday travel ahead of Russia's New Year's vacation.<br/> <br />Russian investigators say preliminary findings point to pilot error.<br/> <br />The crash cast a spotlight on the country's poor air-safety record despite President Vladimir Putin's calls to improve controls.<br/> <br />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.
