Aircraft Yak-42 with the famous hockey team "Locomotive" (Yaroslavl) on board crashed right after its departure from a local Yaroslavl airport.
      
       On board the plane there were 45 persons (8 crewmen, 37 sportsmen and staff of "Locomotive". 43 persons have died. One of the best hockey teams is gone.
       According to preliminary data, the steward Alexander Sizov and the club player Alexander Golimov have survived and been taken in a heavy condition to a hospital in Yaroslavl.
      
       The plane had been in operation since 1993, and its flight validity certificate lasted till October, 1st, 2011. The plane was equipped with all modern safety systems.
      
       Yak-42 was expected to deliver Yaroslavl "Locomotive" to Minsk for a match of the first round of the Continental Hockey League with the local “Dynamo”.
       The plane crashed at 4 pm 5 min during the climb, at the distance of about 2.5 kilometers from the runway. It failed to ascend, collided with an aerial of the beacon located behind the runway, fell on the ground and burst into flame.
       The “Locomotive” team from Yaroslavl was founded in 1959. It was the champion of 1997, 2002 and 2003, the silver prize-winner of 2008 and 2009, and the bronze prize-winner of 1998, 1999, 2005 and 2011.
      
       Along with the citizens of Russia there were players from Belarus, Latvia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Germany, Czechia and Sweden in the team; the coaches were from Canada and Finland.
      
       The intergovernmental aviation committee and Rosaviation will form a working group for investigation of the causes of the accident. The committee of inquiry has launched a criminal case.
      
       Due to the terrible tragedy the match “Salavat Yulaev” – “Atlant” of the Continental Hockey League Championship that was held in Ufa was broken off. The match viewers paid their last respects to the victims of the accident with a silence minute and left the Sports Palace.
      
       Source: svobodanews.ru