KRASNOYARSK, November 27. /TASS/. Those responsible for letting a crowd of passengers appear on the airfield next to a Tupolev-134 passenger jet liner at the Igarka airport, the Krasnoyarsk Territory, shortly before takeoff two days ago, will be identified and properly punished, the airport’s director Maxim Aksyonov has told TASS.

The airport’s personnel have already presented written explanations, inquiries are proceeding, and some of those responsible may be dismissed, Aksyonov added.

On November 25 a Tu-134 medium-haul jet of the Katekavia airlines carrying 74 oil workers and seven crew was about to leave Igarka for Krasnoyarsk. At the last moment it turned out that while staying on the ground under extremely low air temperatures (minus 50 degrees Celsius) the plane had literally frozen to the airfield. An amateur video posted on the world web afterwards showed passengers ostensibly helping the tug truck push the plane towards the runway.

A senior assistant to West Siberia’s transport prosecutor, Oksana Gorbunova, has said the rumour the passengers were really pushing the plane should be considered as a dangerous hoax.

“To let the tow truck pull the plane towards the taxiway the passengers were asked to disembark the plane for a while and wait in a bus parked nearby. However, at a certain point many of them left the bus without permission, approached the plane and tried to offer help in moving the plane. Naturally, the operation was performed by the tow vehicle. The job is beyond humans’ physical strength,” Gorbunova said.

According to the official, specialists are now inquiring into whether the plane had undergone proper maintenance. The performance of airport services, the air carrier, the crew and the passengers themselves will be assessed properly.

Specialists of the state aviation watchdog Gosavianadzor are beginning an early comprehensive inspection of Katekavia and the Igarka airport.