Moscow, Nov 2 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The crash of a Russian airliner in September that killed 44 people, including the entire Lokomotiv ice hockey team, was caused by inexperienced pilots inadvertently applying brakes on take-off, investigators said Wednesday.
The Yak-42, chartered by Yaroslavl-based famous Lokomotiv ice hockey team, crashed just after take-off Sep 7 as the team was heading to Minsk for their season opener against Dinamo Minsk.
‘The take-off speed decision by the pilot — 190 km per hour — was 20 km per hour less than that required for the actual take-off weight of 54 tonnes and nominal power regime of the engines,’ an official said.
One of the pilots was apparently pressing hard on a brake pedal while pulling the control yoke up, he said.
The investigators said four causes contributed to the crash — lack of pilot training, absence of control over the crew’s preparation for flight, the pilots’ failure to follow standard take-off procedures, and poor coordination between the crew during the take-off.
Neither pilot was fit for flying, as one had traces of a sedative drug in his blood and the other had been diagnosed with a motor-skill debilitating disease.
The plane was, however, in good technical condition before the takeoff, the official said.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
pm/vt
