Aircraft crashes on Tver-Smolensk border (177 words)

Published: 5/24/2001

On 21st May, an An-12 belonging to the Russian Air Force's 226th aviation regiment crashed on the border between the Tver and Smolensk regions. Reports claim that the seven people on board died in the crash. The aircraft was making a flight from Rzhev to Morshansk when, half an hour after take-off, it disappeared from ATC radar. According to witnesses reported in the Russian media, the An-12 flew close to the village of Myakotino at low altitude, but with no engines operating. They say that this was followed shortly by an impact and explosion. The difficult terrain has hindered emergency services in attempts to reach the aircraft, but helicopter crews have reported that it has lost its wings and the fuselage is extensively damaged. Some media reports have speculated that the cause of the crash may have been heavy cargo shifting during take-off, while others have suggested that the aircraft, which was produced in 1967 with a year left on its life, was simply in poor technical condition.

Article ID: 2556