Investigators look for clues after fatal plane crash

27 May, 2008 16:57 / Updated 17 years ago

Investigators looking into a plane crash that killed nine people in Russia's Chelyabinsk region in the Urals say it might have been caused by electrical or engine failure or human error. The Antonov An-12 cargo plane belonging to the ‘Moskovia’ airline wa

The captain contacted air traffic control and reported smoke in the cabin just ten minutes after take-off. This prompted the crew’s decision to return to the airport for an emergency landing. Soon after that the An-12 disappeared from the radar screen. On approach to Chelyabinsk airport, the plane lost altitude and hit a power cable. It crashed about 17 kilometres from the city killing all nine crewmembers. Both flight recorders have already been recovered, but it might take up to a month for investigators to discover the exact causes of the accident.