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Technical malfunction, piloting mistake behind Yak-42 air crash

The scope of major investigation actions were scheduled to gather evidence

MOSCOW, September 9 (Itar-Tass) —— The detectives have determined two theories behind the Yak-42 air crash: a technical malfunction of the airplane and a piloting mistake, spokesman of the Investigation Committee Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass on Friday.

“The detectives have found the main theories behind the air crash: a technical malfunction of the airplane and a piloting mistake. The scope of major investigation actions were scheduled to gather evidence,” he said.

The detectives have already interrogated the airport staffers, who are in charge of organizing and making flights, the air flight controllers of various departments, the eyewitnesses and the relatives of the air crash victims, Markin said.

The detectives have completed the search through the air crash site with the air crash traces fixed, the Investigation Committee said. The fuel samples at the airport, the documentation about the state of the airport equipment and the pre-flight works and the crew training, as well as other documents, which are important to find the reasons for the air crash, were confiscated.

“Some 23 identified air crash victims were passed to the relatives and another 16 air crash victims will be passed to them soon,” Markin noted. After the DNA tests are complete for the identification of four air crash victims, the detectives will immediately decide to pass the casualties for the funeral. More than 50 forensic and 24 DNA expertises were scheduled.

The airplane Yak-42 crashed at 4.05 p.m. Moscow time near Yaroslavl on September 7. The airplane was carrying the ice hockey team Lokomotiv to Belarus for a match with Dynamo Minsk. A striker Alexander Galimov and a steward Alexander Sizov survived from 45 people. Both of them were brought to the Moscow hospitals, the doctors are fighting for their lives. A criminal case was opened over the air crash.

The last farewell ceremony with the Lokomotiv players, coaches and the personnel will be held at the Yaroslavl sport complex Arena-2000 on September 10, 2011.