The plane crashed as it coould not gain altitude

A Russian military cargo plane crashed on takeoff in Siberia which killed 11 people. The officials reported that all the members of crew died when the plane crashed on Sunday. However it was reported that no one on the ground was killed or injured.

A spokesman for the Interior Troops, Vasily Panchenkov said the aircraft had banked to the right and could not gain altitude which caused its crash.

The four engine aircraft had just taken off from the city of Mirny in Sakha Republic.

Interior ministry official reported saying “The plane flew no more than two kilometers at an altitude of 20 to 30 meters before crashing near an old mine”. The plane as it crashed hit a mine and exploded. The aircraft had no cargo but it had full fuel tanks came crashing.

Involving an Il-76, it is the second crash in less than a month, the mainstay of the Soviet and Russian air force since the 1970s.

An inquiry is being launched to find out the real cause behind the crash.

In a similar incident Russia’s air force temporarily grounded all Il-76 aircraft after an engine broke off the wing of a plane on October 7 in preparation for takeoff. No one was hurt in that accident.

Russia has one of the world’s worst air safety records, with elderly Soviet-era aircraft, dated airport facilities, poor maintenance and lax standards contributing to a high number of crashes.