MOSCOW, January 24 (RIA Novosti) - The thrust-reversal system failed on a Red Wings Tupolev Tu-204 airliner, which crashed at Moscow's Vnukovo airport on December 29 killing five crewmembers, investigators said on Thursday.

"Two seconds after the thrust-reverser system was put into 'maximum reverse,' the flight engineer reported reverse had not switched on," the Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) said.

The aircraft overshot the runway after landing and ran onto a highway, breaking up into pieces. MAK said in December the condition of the runway was not to blame for the accident despite the winter weather conditions, as the runway had recently been swept.