One serviceman killed, 5 injured in An-26 plane accident in Russia's Saratov region - Defense Ministry
MOSCOW. May 30 (Interfax) - One serviceman was killed when an Antonov An-26 airplane made a hard landing and caught fire in Balashov, Saratov region, the Russian Defense Ministry's press service said on Tuesday.
"One serviceman was killed and five crewmembers were rushed to a hospital by a search and rescue service helicopter," the press service said.
The An-26 plane made a hard landing and caught fire as it was attempting to land at the Balashov airfield in the Saratov region, the Defense Ministry said.
"There were six crewmembers on board the plane," it said.
"The injured servicemen are receiving all necessary medical assistance. The preliminary information available from the site of the accident indicates that it could have been caused by a malfunction of one of the engines," the ministry said.
A special commission of the Russian Defense Ministry is en route to the scene, it said.
The An-26, which belonged to a training center of the Krasnodar Higher Aviation School for Pilots, made a hard landing at 5:40 a.m. on Tuesday as it was performing a practice flight.
