On 7 September 2011, YAK-Service Flight 9633, a
Yakovlev Yak-42
The Yakovlev Yak-42 (russian: Яковлев Як-42; NATO reporting name: "Clobber") is a 100/120-seat three-engined mid-range passenger jet developed in the mid 1970s to replace the technically obsolete Tupolev Tu-134. It was the first airlin ...
charter flight
Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft (i.e., chartering) as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e., purchasing a ticket through a traditional airline).
Regulation
Charter – also called air taxi or ad hoc – flights ...
operated by
YAK-Service carrying players and
coaching staff
The coaching staff is a group of non-athletes tied to a sports team. A coaching staff can be existent at all levels of athletics. It is led by a head coach (known as a manager or senior coach in some sports) and consists of one or more assistant c ...
of the
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Hockey Club Lokomotiv (russian: ХК Локомотив, en, Locomotive HC), also known as Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, is a Russian professional ice hockey team, based in the city of Yaroslavl, playing in the top level Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) ...
professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
team, crashed on take-off near
Yaroslavl
Yaroslavl ( rus, Ярослáвль, p=jɪrɐˈsɫavlʲ) is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. The historic part of the city is a World Heritage Site, and is located at the confluenc ...
,
Yaroslavl Oblast
Yaroslavl Oblast (russian: Яросла́вская о́бласть, ''Yaroslavskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), which is located in the Central Federal District, surrounded by Tver, Moscow, Ivanovo, Vladimir, Kostr ...
, Russia. All but one of the 45 people on board were killed. The aircraft overran the runway at
Tunoshna Airport
Yaroslavl (Tunoshna) International Airport (Tunoshna - also Tunoshnoye, or Tunoschna) (russian: Международный аэропорт Ярославль (Ту́ношна)) is an airport in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located 18 km sout ...
before briefly lifting off, striking an antenna mast, catching fire, and crashing on the bank of the
Volga
The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchm ...
river.
The tragedy is commonly known as the Lokomotiv hockey team disaster.
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, a member of the
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...
(KHL), was on its way to
Minsk
Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
, Belarus, to start the
2011–12 season.
All players from the main roster and four from the youth team were on board and died in the accident. The only survivor was the aircraft's mechanic.
The subsequent investigation determined that several factors contributed to the accident, including poor training; the incorrect calculation of the take-off speed by the flight crew; and the inadvertent application of wheel braking
by one of the pilots, who had improperly placed his feet on the pedals. It was later revealed that the pilot had used falsified documents to obtain permission to fly the aircraft, and that both crew members lacked the training necessary to fly the Yak-42.
Background
At the time of the crash,
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Hockey Club Lokomotiv (russian: ХК Локомотив, en, Locomotive HC), also known as Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, is a Russian professional ice hockey team, based in the city of Yaroslavl, playing in the top level Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) ...
, established in 1959, was one of the top
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
teams in Russia. The team won the
Russian Open Championship in 1997, 2002 and 2003, and were finalists in 2008 and 2009, making it to the third round of the playoffs in four straight seasons. Lokomotiv lost in the 2010
KHL Western Conference Finals 4–3 to
HC MVD, and lost in the 2011 KHL Western Conference Finals 4–2 to
Atlant Moscow Oblast. Several players were about to make their debut with the team, including former
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL) players
Ruslan Salei and
Kārlis Skrastiņš. Also set to make their coaching debuts were former NHL players
Igor Korolev and
Brad McCrimmon
Byron Brad McCrimmon (March 29, 1959 – September 7, 2011) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and coach. He played over 1,200 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, ...
.
The accident was the second plane crash in Russia involving a hockey team. In 1950, the entire
VVS Moscow
VVS Moscow (russian: Военно-Воздушные Силы (Москва) / in English: ''Moscow Military Air Force'') was a Soviet sports club representing the Soviet Air Force. Among the sports the club participated in were football, ice hock ...
team died in a
plane crash
An aviation accident is defined by the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft, which takes place from the time any person boards the aircraft with the ''intention of fl ...
near
Sverdlovsk (now known as Yekaterinburg) in
Sverdlovsk Oblast.
YAK-Service
In 2009,
YAK-Service, the airline operating the accident aircraft, had been investigated by the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
over airworthiness and air safety concerns. Russian authorities imposed restrictions on the carrier, and made YAK-Service subject to ramp inspections to international standards. In May 2010, the Russian
Ministry of Transport
A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government ag ...
prohibited YAK-Service from flying into
European Civil Aviation Conference
The European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) or Conférence Européenne de l'Aviation Civile (CEAC) is an intergovernmental organization which was established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Council of Europe. It is ...
airspace, a restriction that was lifted the following August. The European Commission, however, was not satisfied that mandatory equipment was present on all YAK-Service aircraft, and banned two of the company's
Yakovlev Yak-40
The Yakovlev Yak-40 (russian: Яковлев Як-40; NATO reporting name: Codling) is a regional jet designed by Yakovlev. The trijet's maiden flight was in 1966, and it was in production from 1967 to 1981. Introduced in September 1968, the ...
s from operating in European airspace.
Crash
On the day of the accident, the weather at
Tunoshna Airport
Yaroslavl (Tunoshna) International Airport (Tunoshna - also Tunoshnoye, or Tunoschna) (russian: Международный аэропорт Ярославль (Ту́ношна)) is an airport in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located 18 km sout ...
was good, with light winds, good visibility and a temperature of .
The Yak-42,
registered as RA-42434, entered Runway 05/23 at taxiway 5, located from the runway threshold. Runway 05/23 was long, leaving for the take-off run. After the aircraft was cleared for take-off, it accelerated to an estimated but failed to lift off.
The Yak-42 ran off past the end of the runway for before lifting off.
It then struck an antenna mast located about from the end of the runway, without climbing more than an estimated from the ground.
After the impact with the mast, the aircraft veered left and crashed on the riverbank of the Tunoshonka River, from where it joins the
Volga
The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchm ...
, losing its
tail assembly on impact while the front part of the jet disintegrated.
The tail section came to rest in the water, while the rest of the fuselage ended up on dry land.
The location of the wreckage was approximately from the end of the runway.
Witness reports described the aircraft as "bursting into flames" after hitting the mast.
Another witness report described the engines as going silent moments before the crash. Yet another report indicated that the aircraft hit trees before it crashed. A security surveillance camera mounted on the mast recorded the approach of the Yak-42 at high speed, running off the end of the runway, only metres above the ground, with the nose pulling up moments before impacting the mast. Debris from the aircraft was found just past the mast site, continuing from that point to the crash site.
The crew did not report any technical problems to
air traffic control
Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...
.
Aircraft
The aircraft involved, a
Yakovlev Yak-42D with registration RA-42434 and serial number 4520424305017, was manufactured in 1993. After serving with several airlines, it joined the Yak-Service fleet.
The Yak-42, a three-engine medium-range passenger jet, was designed with a 36-year service life, and RA-42434 still had an estimated 60% of its service life remaining. According to Deputy Transport Minister
Valery Okulov, one of the three engines on the aircraft had been replaced a month prior to the crash.
The aircraft was due to be taken out of service at the end of 2011 for a scheduled major overhaul.
Passengers and crew
![PavolDemitra](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/PavolDemitra.jpg)
The aircraft manifest listed eight crew members and 37 passengers. The flight crew was composed of Captain Andrei Solomentsev, who had 6,900 hours of flight experience of which 1,500 were on Yak-42s; First Officer Igor Zhivelov, with 13,500 hours' experience of which only 600 were on Yak-42s; and Flight Engineer Vladimir Matyushin. The flight's mechanic, Alexander Sizov, who travelled in the passenger cabin, was the only survivor of the crash.
Alexander Galimov, one of the team players on board, was found alive and hospitalized, but died five days later. The bodies of the victims were all recovered from the scene.
According to eyewitnesses, both Galimov and Sizov were severely burned, but were conscious while being rescued.
Both men were transported to
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
for treatment.
The two were placed in
medically induced comas to relieve stress; however, Galimov died on 12 September at the Vishnevsky Institute of Surgery. Sizov was moved from
intensive care
Intensive care medicine, also called critical care medicine, is a medical specialty that deals with seriously or critically ill patients who have, are at risk of, or are recovering from conditions that may be life-threatening. It includes pro ...
to a ward on 12 September, and his life was considered to be out of danger. He was discharged from the hospital on 28 October.
Hockey players killed
Twenty-six players of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey team were killed:
Team staff killed
Among the team staff on board were:
Goalkeeper coach
Jorma Valtonen was not on the aircraft as he stayed behind to work with the junior team.
Reactions
Russian President
The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...
Dmitry Medvedev, who had been on his way to Yaroslavl for the
Yaroslavl Global Policy Forum, sent his condolences to the families of those killed in the crash
and visited the crash site along with governor of Yaroslavl Oblast,
Sergey Vakhrukov
Sergey Alexeyevich Vakhrukov (russian: Сергей Алексеевич Вахруков, born 20 June 1958 in Rybinsk) is a Russian politician, and is a former Governor of Yaroslavl Oblast (2007-2012).
On 25 December 2007, Vakhrukov was appoint ...
.
René Fasel
René Fasel (born 6 February 1950) is a Swiss retired ice hockey administrator. He served as president of the International Ice Hockey Federation from 1994 to 2021. He started his ice hockey career as a player for HC Fribourg-Gottéron, in 1960, ...
, president of the
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; french: Fédération internationale de hockey sur glace; german: Internationale Eishockey-Föderation) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 83 ...
, called the crash "the darkest day in the history of our sport."
Early into
New York Islanders training camp,
goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...
Evgeni Nabokov
Yevgeni Viktorovich Nabokov (russian: Евге́ний Ви́кторович Набо́ков; born July 25, 1975) is a Kazakhstani-Russian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, and Ta ...
, having played the previous season in the KHL, expressed shock and sadness at the news.
Upon hearing the news of the accident, KHL officials stopped the
Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Hockey Club Salavat Yulaev (russian: Хоккейный клуб «Салават Юлаев», Hokkejnyj klub «Salavat Julajev»; ba, «Салауат Юлаев» хоккей клубы, «Salawat Yulayev» xokkey klubı), commonly referred ...
–Atlant Moscow Oblast game that was being played. The game was suspended in the second period, and KHL president
Alexander Medvedev
Alexander Ivanovich Medvedev (russian: Александр Иванович Медведев, ) (born 14 August 1955 in Shakhtyorsk, Sakhalin Oblast) is the current Deputy Chairman of the Management Committee of Russian energy company Gazprom an ...
addressed the audience at the game, informing them of the details of the tragedy. A
minute of silence was held and the audience exited the arena. Russian Ice Hockey Federation president
Vladislav Tretiak
Vladislav Aleksandrovich Tretiak, MSM ( rus, links=no, Владислав Александрович Третьяк, p=trʲɪˈtʲjak; born 25 April 1952) is a Russian former goaltender for the Soviet Union national ice hockey team. Considere ...
promised: "We will do our best to ensure that hockey in Yaroslavl does not die, and that it continues to live for the people that were on that plane." The following day in Minsk, at the arena where Yaroslavl was to play its first game of the season, a special "hockey funeral" was held. The KHL resumed its
2011–12 season on 12 September 2011, with seven games. All games were preceded with a minute of silence.
City officials in Yaroslavl announced a three-day period of mourning from Friday 9 September 2011 to Sunday 11 September 2011.
On 10 September, memorial services for the players were held in their mother countries. The biggest services were held in
Arena 2000, the home arena of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, with thousands of mourners as well as
Russian Prime Minister
The chairman of the government of the Russian Federation, also informally known as the prime minister, is the nominal head of government of Russia. Although the post dates back to 1905, its current form was established on 12 December 1993 f ...
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
in attendance. Local police determined the crowd number at Lokomotiv's home arena to be roughly 100,000.
Lokomotiv executives met to discuss the team's future. In the discussion, team president Yuri Yakovlev announced that Lokomotiv would not participate in the 2011–12 KHL season. On 12 September 2011, Lokomotiv
marketing manager Ivjiny Chuev said that another memorial, this time specifically for Galimov, would be held on 13 September.
![2011-10-13 Capitals vs Penguins Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Game](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/2011-10-13_Capitals_vs_Penguins_Lokomotiv_Yaroslavl_Game.JPG)
In the United States, the
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and were founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minne ...
, the team which Kārlis Skrastiņš played for the previous two seasons, honored their former teammate by placing a decal with Skrastiņš's number (37) on the helmets of their players.
Josef Vašíček
Josef Vašíček (; 12 September 1980 – 7 September 2011) was a Czech professional ice hockey player. Vašíček last played for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and died in the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash. H ...
's former NHL team, the
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...
, wore a commemorative patch on their jerseys during the season. The
Detroit Red Wings wore a patch on their 2011–2012 uniforms with the initials of Ruslan Salei, who had played for Detroit during the previous season. The patch the Red Wings wore also honored Brad McCrimmon, who had played for the team and been an assistant coach, and
Stefan Liv, who was drafted by Detroit and played for their minor-league team. Furthermore, the
Anaheim Ducks embroidered Salei's number (#24) on their jerseys for the season. The
New Jersey Devils wore a commemorative patch on their jerseys honoring former Devils players
Karel Rachůnek and
Alexander Vasyunov. The
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...
also held a memorial ceremony for former players Pavol Demitra and Igor Korolev before their 8 November game against the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
. The Blues players also wore a special '38' sticker on their helmets, as both players wore that number with the Blues. Blues goaltender
Jaroslav Halák
Jaroslav Halák (; born 13 May 1985) is a Slovak professional ice hockey goaltender for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Halák was selected with the 271st overall pick by the Montreal Canadiens in the ninth and final ro ...
also had his 2011–12 goaltending mask made with a tribute to his fellow Slovak Demitra on the backplate. In Sweden, over 10,000 relatives and fans of
HV71
HV71 (), often referred to as just HV, is a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Jönköping, playing in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), the first tier of Swedish ice hockey. The team played in the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League ...
attended
Kinnarps Arena
The Husqvarna Garden, formerly Kinnarps Arena, is an indoor arena, primarily an ice hockey venue, in Jönköping, Sweden.
History
The arena, which is located in the Rosenlund district of Jönköping, was built between September 1999 and September ...
, the team's home arena, to mourn Liv, Lokomotiv's Swedish goaltender.
![Pavol Demitra - Tribute (3)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Pavol_Demitra_-_Tribute_%283%29.jpg)
The
Slovak Ice Hockey Federation announced that the jersey number 38 would be retired from the national team in memory of Pavol Demitra, who recently retired from the
national team
A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport.
The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...
in May on home ice, at the
World Championship
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
Slovakia hosted for the first time and who would be the in memoriam inductee of the 2012 Class of
Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame The Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame (Slovak language, Slovak: ''Sieň slávy slovenského hokeja'') honors the contributions that individuals have made to the sport of ice hockey, hockey in Slovakia. It opened on November 30, 2002. The hall is located i ...
. Furthermore, it was announced that Team Slovakia would have a minor number 38 sewn into the jerseys up until 2012 World Championship. Demitra was further honoured by a public ceremony at a hockey stadium in
Trenčín
Trenčín (, also known by other alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia of the central Váh River valley near the Czech border, around from Bratislava. It has a population of more than 55,000, which makes it the eighth largest muni ...
, which bears his name since late 2011 (
Pavol Demitra Ice Stadium) along with an elementary school attended in
Dubnica nad Váhom
Dubnica nad Váhom (; Slovak before 1927: ''Dubnica'', german: Dubnitz an der Waag, hu, Máriatölgyes, before 1899 ''Dubnic(z)'') is a town in the Ilava District, Trenčín Region in Slovakia.
Geography
It is located on the Váh river, in the ...
. Thanks to Demitra's popularity spontaneous gatherings also took place across Slovakia, by hockey stadiums, in his memory.
The
German Ice Hockey Federation
The German Ice Hockey Federation (), commonly abbreviated as DEB, is the governing federation of German ice hockey associations. It was established on 16 June 1963 in Krefeld. Until 1990 it served only the old Federal Republic of Germany and West ...
announced that it would retire the No. 20 jersey of
Robert Dietrich in
Team Germany. The 13 October 2011 game between the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
and
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...
, which featured Russian ice hockey players
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin ( rus, Александр Михайлович Овечкин, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɐˈvʲetɕkʲɪn; born 17 September 1985) is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capital ...
and
Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni Vladimirovich Malkin ( rus, Евге́ний Влади́мирович Ма́лкин, p=jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪj ˈmaɫkʲɪn; born 31 July 1986) is a Russian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of ...
, was dedicated to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. The teams wore commemorative Lokomotiv patches. All jerseys were autographed by the players and auctioned to raise funds for the families of those who died in the crash.
On 12 March 2012, the
Latvian Ice Hockey Federation announced that it would retire the number 7 jersey of Kārlis Skrastiņš from
Team Latvia. On 24 March 2012, the Dallas Stars (for whom Skrastiņš had played prior to signing with Lokomotiv) held a
pre-game ceremony
A pre-game ceremony or pre-match ceremony is an on-field ceremony occurring before a sporting event. Such ceremonies may celebrate a past event, honour a retiring athlete, commemorate a deceased athlete, or promote a cause.
Celebrating past event ...
with Skrastiņš' family and announced a trust fund for Skrastiņš' children. Similarly, the
Czech Ice Hockey Association
The Czech Ice Hockey Association ( cs, Český svaz ledního hokeje, ČSLH) is the governing body of ice hockey in the Czech Republic.
Structure
According to the statutes, seven organs operate in the Czech Ice Hockey Association. Every two year ...
decided to retire
Czech Republic men's national ice hockey team
The Czech Republic men's national ice hockey team is the national ice hockey team of the Czech Republic. It is one of the most successful national ice hockey teams in the world and a member of the so-called " Big Six", the unofficial group of th ...
jersey numbers in honor of its three late players. The numbers 4 of Karel Rachunek, 15 of
Jan Marek, and 63 of
Josef Vasicek Josef may refer to
*Josef (given name)
*Josef (surname) Josef is the surname of the following people:
* Jens Josef (born 1967), German composer of classical music, a flutist and academic teacher
* Michelle Josef (born 1954), Canadian musician and tr ...
have since been taken out of circulation.
On 16 December 2011, the jersey of Stefan Liv was raised to the roof of
Husqvarna Garden
The Husqvarna Garden, formerly Kinnarps Arena, is an indoor arena, primarily an ice hockey venue, in Jönköping, Sweden.
History
The arena, which is located in the Rosenlund district of Jönköping, was built between September 1999 and Septembe ...
. His number one was retired and would never be used again by a HV71 player.
Aftermath
Following the tragedy, Lokomotiv chose to cancel its participation in the 2011–12 KHL season. The club instead participated in the
2011–12 season of the
Russian Major League
The Supreme Hockey League (SHL) (russian: Высшая хоккейная лига (ВХЛ), links=no, ''Vysshaya hokkeinaya liga (VHL)''), also known as the Major Hockey League or Higher Hockey League (HHL), is a professional ice hockey league i ...
(VHL), the second-highest ice hockey league in Russia after the KHL, starting in December 2011, and were eligible for the VHL playoffs. The KHL temporarily suspended its season-opening game already in progress and postponed the start of the season by five days.
On 11 September 2011, President Medvedev ordered the grounding of all airlines "which are not adequately able to ensure passengers' safety". A deadline of 15 November 2011 was set to put into place "measures be developed to stop Russian air carriers' activities if they are not able to provide safe flights". Measures to bring aircraft up to international standards were to be sped up and the installation of new radio beacons to the latest COSPAS-SARSAT standard. Russian aviation authorities suspended all flights with the Yak-42 pending checks of other existing aircraft of the same type. On 21 September 2011, Yak-Service had its operating licence revoked by
Rosaviatsiya after an audit of flight operations of the airline and as a result of the crash.
Investigation and trial
The
Interstate Aviation Committee
The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC; russian: Межгосударственный авиационный комитет, МАК) is an executive body of the Civil Aviation and Airspace Use Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States ( ...
(MAK) opened an investigation into the circumstances of the accident. The aircraft's
flight data recorder
A flight recorder is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of aviation accidents and incidents. The device may often be referred to as a "black box", an outdated name which has ...
s were recovered the day after the crash.
The fuel supply used to refuel the aircraft was quarantined, and samples were taken for analysis. The results were that the fuel in the storage tanks at Tunoshna Airport met the specified requirements for aviation fuel.
Preliminary analysis of the flight recorders indicated that the aircraft's
trimmable horizontal stabilizer was set to 8.7 degrees "nose up" and its wing flaps were in the take-off position of 20 degrees. The engines were functioning until the impact with the beacon mast.
The Technical Commission of the MAK released further findings on 12 September 2011:
* the engines continued working until the crash.
* the weather was ruled out as a factor.
* the crew carried out a check of all flight controls of the aircraft, including the elevator. The flight control surfaces responded as intended.
* take-off weight was less than the maximum allowable for take-off.
* the aircraft had 14 tons of fuel on board, of which eight tons was from the airport in Yaroslavl.
* prior to the takeoff, the stabilizer and flaps were set to takeoff position.
The committee referred the study of the flight recorders and operational data to other research centers. The Technical Commission established contacts with the investigation authorities of the countries whose citizens were on board: Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden, Latvia and Canada.
On 14 September 2011, a report in the newspaper ''
Moskovsky Komsomolets
''Moskovskij Komsomolets'' (russian: Московский комсомолец, lit=Moscow Komsomolets) is a Moscow-based daily newspaper with a circulation approaching one million, covering general news. Founded in 1919, it is famed for its to ...
'', quoting a source in the aviation industry, claimed that the parking brake of the aircraft was on during take-off, which significantly slowed it down and prevented it from accelerating properly. According to this theory, the captain had turned over control to the co-pilot before take-off, as he was not feeling well. As it is the captain's duty to release the brake, the co-pilot may not have been aware that it had not been done, or had forgotten to do so. ''
LifeNews'' reported that investigators were investigating the pilots' professional history and that the pilots did not have sufficient experience on the Yak-42.
''
RIA Novosti'' reported that Deputy Minister Okulov and Federal Air Transport Agency head Alexander Neradko both dismissed the theory in discussions with reporters at a press conference on 14 September 2011. The theory was also discounted by Konstantin Malinin, a former test pilot of the Yak-42, who noted that an engaged parking brake would have left skid marks and pieces of rubber on the runway, and there were none found.
Two simulations of the crash were planned to help determine the cause. A "virtual" simulation used flight simulators. The data from the crashed Yak-42's flight recorders was loaded into a simulator, which then reconstructed the crash. A "live" simulation attempted to duplicate conditions of the crash, using a similar Yak-42, which launched from
Zhukovsky Airfield
Zhukovsky , formerly (and still occasionally) known as Ramenskoye (russian: link=no, аэропорт Жуковский, аэродром Раменское) is an international airport, located in Moscow Oblast, Russia, southeast of central Mo ...
. The
Gromov Flight Research Institute
The Gromov Flight Research Institute or GFRI for short (russian: link=no, Лётно-исследовательский институт имени М. М. Громова, russian: link=no, ЛИИ) is an important Russian State Researc ...
conducted the tests. The Institute previously assisted the IAC in the investigation of
the crash in 2010 that killed the president of Poland,
Lech Kaczyński
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński (; 18 June 194910 April 2010) was a Polish politician who served as the city mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 2005, and as President of Poland from 2005 until his death in 2010. Before his tenure as president, he pre ...
.
On 17 September 2011, the MAK released further information about its investigation. It found the aircraft had started its takeoff with approximately of usable runway length from its starting position. The aircraft started rolling down the runway with engines at nominal thrust, with takeoff thrust not being applied until six seconds later. Despite the increase of thrust the aircraft did not accelerate as expected. The committee report speculated that this could have been due to some braking force, and the committee stated it would send the braking system components to a "specialized institution" for a special examination. The aircraft reached a maximum speed of . It did not lift off the ground until some after the end of the runway, but at no point did it rise more than off the ground. It then hit the airport beacon, deflected to the left and impacted the ground. The flaps and slats were in takeoff position, spoilers retracted, and the stabilizer set in a ten-degree position. The elevator controls were still connected.
On 19 September 2011, news channel ''
Rossiya 24'' published the last minute of dialog between the flight crew, from the voice recorder:
:Captain: 74, 76.
:Flight engineer: 74, 76.
:Captain: Time, headlights. We are taking off, top speed 190.
:Captain: Three, four, five, nominal ngine thrust
:Flight engineer: Nominal hruston.
:Flight engineer: Speed is increasing. light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 te ...
parameters renormal. 130, 150, 170, 190, 210.
:Captain: witch to
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...
takeoff hrust
:Flight engineer: 220, 230.
:Co-pilot: Maybe t'sthe stabilizer.
:Captain: Takeoff, takeoff hrust Stabilizer!
:Co-pilot: What are you doing?
:Captain: Takeoff hrust
:Co-pilot: Fuck you!
: ound of alarm: ound of first impact:Flight engineer: Takeoff hruston.
:Captain: Fuck!
:Co-pilot: Andrey!
:Captain: Everything!
: ound of second impact:End of recording
According to test pilot Anatoly Knishov, in an interview with ''
Komsomolskaya Pravda'', top speed 190 represents a decision point where, if failures occur before that speed, the aircraft is able to stop on the runway. At 210, the captain switched the engines to "takeoff mode" from "regular flight mode" or "nominal mode". According to Knishov, a nominal thrust/power mode is used for an empty aircraft, while all loaded aircraft use a takeoff mode. In his opinion, the switch-over from a nominal- to takeoff mode was late and unusual, as engine mode for taking off is normally agreed upon before starting a take-off run.
''Life News'' reported on 20 September 2011 the opinion of test pilot Magomed Tolboev. According to Tolboev, the cause of the disaster might have been a disagreement between the aircraft commander and the copilot. From examining a skid mark on the runway, Tolboev suggested that one of them tried to brake, while the other was trying to take off. Tolboev also considered the Yak-42 not as advanced in its build and materials as contemporary Western models, heavier and less fuel-efficient, but still a "reliable vehicle" with "best rigidity".
On 23 September 2011, ''
Kyiv Post
The ''Kyiv Post'' is the oldest English-language newspaper in Ukraine, founded in October 1995 by Jed Sunden.
History
American Jed Sunden founded the ''Kyiv Post'' weekly newspaper on Oct. 18, 1995 and later created KP Media for his holdings. ...
'' reported that the only survivor of the crash, flight engineer Sizov, was questioned by the investigative committee on 22 September 2011. According to Sizov, no problems were noted in the preparation for the flight, and the aircraft had no problems during its previous flight. Sizov also described the distribution of the passengers and luggage on the aircraft: Lokomotiv's coaches were in the front cabin; the players were in the rear cabin; and the luggage was carried in the rear luggage compartment. ''Kyiv Post'' also reported that a criminal investigation under Article 263 of the Criminal Code (flight safety violations causing two or more deaths) had commenced.
On 10 October 2011, the Gromov Institute began its series of test flights. The simulations applied braking forces at different stages of the takeoff to determine what effects if any, the forces affected the ability of the aircraft to reach a take-off angle and speed. The first flight created a baseline takeoff, without any braking force applied.
Simulation testing determined that
pilot error
Pilot error generally refers to an accident in which an action or decision made by the pilot was the cause or a contributing factor that led to the accident, but also includes the pilot's failure to make a correct decision or take proper a ...
was the cause as a braking force was found to have been applied by the chief pilot during takeoff. Using data from the flight recorder, it was determined the movement was only possible by pushing down on the brake pedals from the chief pilot's seat to push upwards on the control column. The investigating committee found evidence of the braking failure in the braking system.
The committee released its final report on 2 November 2011. The committee found several problems that led to the crash. The first was that Yak-Service "did not properly control the quality of mastering the aircraft", finding that the crew did not train long enough on the Yak-42. The second was that the crew "did not calculate the takeoff parameters", changing the takeoff thrust during takeoff. While it was not determined which pilot applied the brakes, it was determined that one applied acceleration at the same time as the other applied braking. The co-pilot Zhivelov was found to have the banned drug
phenobarbital
Phenobarbital, also known as phenobarbitone or phenobarb, sold under the brand name Luminal among others, is a medication of the barbiturate type. It is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the treatment of certain types of ep ...
in his system.
According to Alexei Morozov, chief of the investigative commission, "the immediate cause of the ... crash was the ... crew's erroneous actions, namely the pilot stepping on the brake pedals before raising the nose wheel because of the wrong position of
isfeet on the
edalsduring takeoff."
Federal investigators revealed in September 2012, that the pilot and co-pilot had falsified documents stating that they had undergone the necessary training for the Yak-42. Vadim Timofeyev, deputy head of airline Yak-Service, was charged with breaching air safety rules.
His trial lasted from December 2014 until September 2015. He pled not guilty, blaming the crash on poorly placed cargo, but was found guilty on 23 September 2015 of violating Part 3 of Article 263 of the Russian Criminal Code, governing the safe operation of aircraft resulting in the manslaughter of more than two people. He was sentenced to five years in prison, however he was amnestied without serving the full term.
In popular culture
The Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash was featured in "Lokomotiv Hockey Team Disaster", a
Season 12 (2012–13) episode of the Canadian TV series ''
Mayday''
(called ''Air Emergency'' and ''Air Disasters'' in the United States and ''Air Crash Investigation'' in the UK and elsewhere around the world). The dramatization was broadcast with the title "Hockey Team Tragedy" in the U.S. and "Russia's Ice Hockey Disaster" in the United Kingdom.
See also
*
List of accidents involving sports teams
This is a list of accidents where all or part of a major sports team had been killed or seriously injured.
Sports teams fatalities from aviation accidents and incidents
''(Click on date for associated article)''
1. Frölunda chartered three p ...
*
List of sole survivors of airline accidents or incidents
This list includes sole survivors of aviation accidents and incidents that involved 10 or more onboard. Within this list, "sole survivor" refers to a person who survived an air accident in which all other aircraft occupants died as a direct conseq ...
*
LaMia Flight 2933
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Investigation into the crash –
Interstate Aviation Committee
The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC; russian: Межгосударственный авиационный комитет, МАК) is an executive body of the Civil Aviation and Airspace Use Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States ( ...
*
Topic of news from RIA Novosti
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash
2011 disasters in Russia
Aviation accidents and incidents involving professional sports teams
Accidents and incidents by airline of Russia
Accidents and incidents involving the Yakovlev Yak-42
Aviation accidents and incidents in Russia
Aviation accidents and incidents in 2011
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
2011–12 KHL season
Transport in Yaroslavl Oblast
Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error
September 2011 events in Russia