A terrifying scene unfolded on a Russian motorway as a plane carrying nine passengers, including an eight-year-old girl, crash-landed near the road after a sudden engine failure.
The Antonov An-2TP sustained severe damage when it struck trees during its descent, narrowly avoiding an overpass and knocking down a light pole with its wing.
The pilot was forced to make the emergency landing just yards from a busy road after the engine lost power shortly after take-off from Yessentuki Airfield in Stavropol Krai, Russia.
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The crash site was located about 2 km (1.2 mi) west of the airfield, as reported by VKNews24.
Four people were injured, with three hospitalized, while the remaining passengers escaped without serious harm.
Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed that a response team, including eleven specialists and five emergency vehicles, was quickly dispatched to the scene.
Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee announced an investigation into the incident, stating the plane was on a commercial flight at the time. Unconfirmed reports suggest the plane was carrying skydivers preparing for a jump.
The aircraft, first flown in 1988, avoided fatalities in what could have been a far graver accident.
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SOURCE: Plane with nine on board narrowly misses overpass as it crash-lands near motorway
