Reading up on Russian news, it does seem that some form of engine failure is likely to blame. As the account goes, the plane apparently overran the runway and briefly ran on gravel, then became airborne, clipped some sort of antenna on the airfield with one of its wings, continued through the air for about a kilometer, then crashed into the river bank. Another version says that it did become airborne quickly but rolled sharply left after takeoff and didn't climb quickly enough to avoid the antenna. Given that the airport has a 10,000ft runway, it is a bit odd for a relatively small plane to just over-run it like that.
The airplane was built in 1993, and according to at least one source was due to be withdrawn from service next month.
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Last edited by CCIP; 09-08-11 at 12:44 AM.
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