Four people killed, dozens injured after aircraft crashes in Siberia

At least four people were killed and over a dozen badly injured on Saturday after a small plane carrying recreational skydivers-in-training crashed in Russia’s Kemerovo region in southwestern Siberia in an airfield, Russia’s RFL reported citing a local emergency medical service. The twin-engine L-410 crashed near the Tanay aerodrome which operates a parachuting service after the plane was returning to the airfield. 

There are still conflicting claims about the casualties as it remains to establish the exact number of people on board the plane at the time of the incident. Some officials have claimed that at least 15 were feared injured and that the plane was carrying 20 passengers, 17 parachutists, and two crew members on board. Moscow’s TASS news agency had earlier said that at least seven people were killed in the crash. 

Ahead of the accident, the plane’s crew had sent the distress signal about engine failure, Siberia’s local prosecutors’ office stated. One of the pilots radioed the emergency message. Shortly,  the plane apparently clipped a tree with its wing and crashed, heavily damaging the aircraft. A search and rescue operation is underway. The L-410 aircraft was on its fourth flight for the day and was apparently in a good condition. It took off from the Tanai airfield and crashed into a forest. More information is awaited as the federal investigation authorities are probing the cause of the accident. 

Plane crashed in South Carolina had parts installed 'upside down'

Nearly two days ago, officials found that the small private plane that had similarly crashed in South Carolina, US last month, killing the pilot, had its key part installed upside down and backward after maintenance, a federal report claimed. A Piper PA-31 took off from Myrtle Beach International Airport with 60-year-old James Harper, a pilot with American Airlines. Shortly into its journey to North Myrtle Beach, Harper radioed air traffic controllers at about 6:15 pm of May 21 that he needed to land his plane urgently. When asked by the controllers if he needed any assistance, terrified Harper had responded, “yes, we’re in trouble." the aircraft then crashed just two minutes it was in the air. Investigators probing the wreckage found that the plant's primary and secondary flight controls had been removed, painted, and reinstalled incorrectly.