YEKATERINBURG, September 14 (Itar-Tass) — Rescuers have completed the search of a location indicated by an amateur radio operator from Nizhny Tagil, who claimed he heard a May Day signal of the Antonov An-2 plane that disappeared on June 11. The area on the 20-kilometer radius from the Lifty village downstream the Sosva River was searched.
The first location indicated by the same man was examined earlier, south of the Gari town. Neither the plane nor the missing people were found. The search goes on, the Sverdlovsk regional emergency situations department told Itar-Tass earlier.
Recordings provided by amateur radio operator Valentin Degtyaryov did not contain coherent words or phrases, acting head of the Urals transport investigative department of the Russian Investigation Committee Vladimir Kulakov said.
Judging by tentative findings, pilot Khatip Kashapov took off the plane of the Avia Zov airline on June 11 without permission. The plane might have had twelve passengers aboard. A criminal case was opened on the counts of air traffic violation causing two or more deaths by negligence.
Land parties have walked through more than 2,500 kilometers to search for the missing plane.