Posted on 09/07/2011 11:34:07 AM PDT by rjsclassics
[Updated, 9:50 a.m. Sept. 7: The Kings issued this statement Wednesday: "The Los Angeles Kings organization is deeply saddened with the tragic news of this morning’s plane crash in Russia that was carrying the members of the KHL’s Lokomotiv organization, including former Kings forward Pavol Demitra, former Kings prospect Jan Marek and many other members of the NHL family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the family and friends of those affected by this terrible occurrence."]
The plane, which was carrying members of the Kontinental Hockey League team Lokomotiv, crashed on the banks of the Volga River shortly after departing from an airport in Yaroslav, located 150 miles northeast of Moscow. The team was flying to Belarus to play in its season opener against Dinamo Minsk
(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...
The UK Daily Mail has some photos. Here is the link (one photo has an injured person on a stretcher and may be deemed too graphic):
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2034731/Russian-plane-crash-kills-ice-hockey-team.html
This is so sad.
RIP.
Yep, this was a Russian charter company apparently called “Yak Service.” They have a fleet of three Yakovlev Yak-40s and one other Yakovlev Yak-42 beside the one that crashed. The accident airplane was delivered new to Tatarstan Airlines in 1993 and sold to Yak Service a few years ago.
The aircraft type doesn’t have a particularly checkered accident history, but...can’t remember where I saw it, but either that particular aircraft when it flew for Tatarstan, or that airline, was banned from flying into the EU for maintenance irregularities.
}:-)4
Muzzies who don’t like ice hockey?
Not being all that knowledgeable about all of the NHL team names, I first thought that this might have been an exiled or successor ruler to some middle Europe / Caucasian country. When is a King a real king or vice-verse? Anyway RIP to one of God's Children.
MN Wild fans are having a tough night tonight, as well...
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