Russian Paratrooper Crashes, 16 Dead

ILLUSTRATION/Unsplash-Leio McLaren

JAKARTA - The plane carrying a group of paratroopers crashed after takeoff in Russia's Tatarstan area early Sunday, killing 16 people and injuring six others, the Emergencies Ministry said.

At an altitude of 70 meters, the pilot reported that the left engine of the plane had died and tried to make an emergency landing near the town of Menzelinks.

The pilots tried to turn the plane to the left to avoid uninhabited areas, said Tatarstan governor Rustam Minnikhanov.

But its wing hit a vehicle as it landed and rolled over, Minnikhanov said.

The plane was carrying 20 paratroopers and two crew members. Six people are in serious condition, the Health Ministry said.

Launching Antara, Sunday, October 10, the twin-engine Let L-410 short-haul transport aircraft is owned by an aviation club in the city of Menzelinsk.

The club declined to comment, saying law enforcement was investigating the incident. Russian cosmonauts use the area for training.

The aviation club has hosted a number of local and European championships as well as a world championship, club director Ravil Nurmukhameto was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency.

The Investigative Committee, which investigates serious crimes, said it had opened a criminal investigation into alleged breaches of safety regulations.

The government-owned Cosmonaut Training Center has suspended cooperation with the club pending an investigation, TASS quoted a source as saying.

Photos of a number of parachutists in the plane's cabin circulated on the REN TV channel and on social media.

Russian aviation safety standards have tightened in recent years but accidents continue to occur, especially in remote areas.

An old Antonov An-26 transport plane crashed in Russia's far east last month, killing six people.

All 28 people on board a twin-engine turboprop Antonov An-26 were killed in a crash in Kamchatka in July.