Eleven Passengers Fatally Injured When Plane Came Down Short Of The Runway

A Russian commuter flight went down Tuesday about a half-mile short of the runway at Igarka, a town in the Krasnoyarsk region of Russia. Eleven of the fifteen people on board were fatally injured in the crash. Three crew members, including the pilot and co-pilot, and one passenger survived.

An-24 File Photo

Authorities say the accident happened at 0119 local time Tuesday. The An-24 was on final approach when the accident occurred. Heavy fog was reported at the time of the accident. The flight had originated at the regional capital of Krasnoyarsk, according to The Moscow Times.

The cockpit crew was listed in satisfactory condition at a local hospital. The one surviving passenger suffered burns over about 80 percent of his body, and was listed in critical but stable condition.

A Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement that they suspect the cause of the accident was "violations of air traffic safety rules" on the part of the pilot or "someone else." A criminal investigation has been opened. The committee did say that it had determined that alcohol was not a contributing factor.

Iggarka is a timber-exporting port about 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

FMI: http://www.icao.int/