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FACTBOX: What we know about missing An-2 plane in Russia’s Kamchatka

The An-2 airplane with two crew members and one passenger was transporting 800 kg of commercial cargo on the Milkovo - Ossora route

© Vladimir Smirnov/TASS, archive

VLADIVOSTOK, December 19. /TASS/. An An-2 airplane carrying three people on board and commercial cargo has vanished from radar in Kamchatka, Russia’s Far East, regional Emergencies Minister Sergey Lebedev wrote on his page on Thursday.

TASS has gathered the key details about the incident.

Disappearing from radar

- The An-2 airplane with two crew members and one passenger was transporting 800 kg of commercial cargo on the Milkovo - Ossora route.

- It took off at 09:45 (00:45 Moscow time).

- At 13:00 (04:00 Moscow time) an emergency sensor was triggered.

- No contact was made with the aircraft at its scheduled landing time.

Search

- The Russian Emergencies Ministry's Main Directorate of the Kamchatka Region reported that there was heavy snow and dense clouds in the search area.

- Two rescue helicopters flew to the location where the An-2 lost contact with radar, one of them is now heading towards the site.

- Specialists of the search and rescue unit of the Center for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Fire Safety of the Kamchatka Region departed from the settlement of Klyuchi to search for the missing An-2 aircraft on the ground.

Investigation

- The investigators are holding a preliminary inquiry under Article 263 of the Criminal Code (violating rules of safety and operation of air transport).

- The Prosecutor's Office of the Kamchatka Region will inspect the implementation of legislation on flight safety, the Prosecutor General's Office in Russia's Far East reported.

- The agency will assess compliance with mandatory requirements in preparing the vessel for departure, air navigation support of flights, as well as the implementation of the rescue operation.

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