Russian Authorities Investigate Three Possible Causes Of Plane Crash In Kamchatka

JAKARTA - The Russian Investigative Committee said it was conducting an investigation into three versions of the alleged cause of the crash of the An-26 plane on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Tuesday, July 6.

Investigation of these causal factors is important, to determine the cause of the deadly accident that killed all passengers and crew on this plane.

"The investigation is currently working on the following versions, bad weather, technical malfunction and pilot error," the Investigative Committee said, citing TASS Wednesday, July 7.

From the initial investigation, there were 22 passengers and 6 crew members on board the plane that crashed.

"According to preliminary information, the wreckage of the aircraft was found north of Palana airport," the agency said.

The investigation team has been to the crash site, collecting fuel samples at the site and all documents regarding the aircraft, including flight plans. Meanwhile, a number of witnesses are being questioned.

Separately, rescue teams are said to have recovered some of the bodies of the victims of the An-26 crash, Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov told TASS on Wednesday.

"The first body is now being pulled out (of the water). This is a real-time effort. As far as the number (of deaths) is concerned, the situation is changing all the time," Solodov said.

Earlier, a source in the emergency services told TASS that crew error due to poor visibility contributed to the crash.

The plane hit a cliff, with debris falling into the Sea of Okhotsk. The crew did not report any damage, emergency services said, adding that the plane was mechanically sound before takeoff.

To note, the An-26 aircraft belonging to the Russian Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air Enterprise airline lost contact on July 6. The plane was en route from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Palana and was carrying 22 passengers and 6 crew.

An emergency services source said the plane stopped communicating as it was about to land. One version suggests the crash occurred due to a piloting error due to poor visibility. Meanwhile, the weather in the area was cloudy at the time of the accident, the Interfax News Agency said, citing the local meteorological center.