Russian airliner in fatal crash near Yaroslavl
 

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The Yak-42 has a capacity of more than 100 passengers.

An airliner carrying a major league ice hockey team has crashed in Russia killing 43 people.

Reports said the plane burst into flames shortly after taking off from an airport at the city of Yaroslavl, about 250km (160 miles) north-east of Moscow.

Members of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team were on board the plane on their way to Minsk in Belarus.

Officials said two people were unaccounted for after the crash, the cause of which has not been confirmed.

The hockey team had been due to play Dinamo Minsk in the opening game of the season of the Kontinental Hockey League on Thursday.

The team includes players from Germany, Sweden, and Slovakia as well as Russia. It was not clear how many of the fatalities were members of the team.

The plane, a Yak-42, had a capacity of more than 100 passengers, but it is thought only 45 people were on board.

A local policeman told the BBC Russian service he had seen the plane come down.

He said the plane had barely taken off before it plunged to the ground, and he saw "flames as high as a nine-storey building".

The country has a poor aviation safety record. In July this year a passenger plane crashed in northern Russia and 44 people died.

President Dmitry Medvedev has promised to overhaul the industry and take out of service ageing jets from the Soviet era.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14822582


Note: 7 September 2011 Last updated at 14:38 GMT

I was hoping to say: "in before wisecrackers and nutjob conspiracy theorists", but apparently I'll have to be content with saying: "in before nutjob conspiracy theorists."

As well as this: ...

A shame. Doesn't sound lke they had much of a chance. Condolences to their families and their fans - this is going to be hard on a lot of people.

I know how devastated I was when I found out that Flyers goalie Pelle Lindbergh had been in an auto accident that would eventually be the cause of his death, and how hard this past summer's been on the NHL with the deaths of Derek Boogard, Rick Rypien, and most recently, Wade Belak.

It'd be a shame if, even in light of this event, the Russian aviation folks don't do something to make their part in the industry safer.

The older jets (Tu-134 etc) are being withdrawn at the moment. From what I've been reading on the crash, the aircraft lost engine power shortly after takeoff and couldn't make it above a radar antenna mast. Now I don't know what eejit placed a tall mast near an active runway, but I also don't know if the aircraft was off course due to the engine trouble and couldn't steer away from obstructions.

Loss of power/lift at low altitude and low speed, whether it's due to birdstrike or mechanical failure or whatever, doesn't vary in severity due to aircraft type or country of origin. We don't know enough right now about this incident.

You're right, of course. I was directing that last comment in response to the last line in Vendor's excerpt.

Noooooooooo!:o That's awful, they were one of my favorite Russian hockey clubs! I have a jersey of theirs.

http://en.khl.ru/news/2011/9/7/24152.html

http://www.khl.ru/upload/images/lokomotiv_2010.jpg


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Stefan Liv dead in plane crash.

Swedish Foreign Ministry and Life's agent confirms. The Swedish national team goalie Stefan Liv was one of the 44 people killed in Thursday's Russian plane crash. On board were Russian team Lokomotiv.

Former Flyer Brad McCrimmon feared dead in crash.

As well as former NHLers Pavol Demitra and Ruslan Salei.

I remember watching McCrimmon when he was with the Flyers.

Yeesh, this was very shocking for me to wake up to. Quite a few well-recognized names on that list. Just sad.

RIP Stefan,and team Lokomotiv, :cry:

This thread... Does not surprise me...

He played for our Calgary Flames as well and helped us win the cup in 1989. :cry:

In what way?

I'm glad he got his name on the Cup with somebody, especially after coming so close with Philly and falling short. Only reason I posted it that way is that I always remembered him in the orange & black - no slight intended at all.

This is turning into a tough summer for hockey fans.

Hey, no problem at all. I don't really follow hockey much(I know, blasphemy for a Canuck) so didn't even know he played for the Flyers.