The Russian Black Sea Fleet Be-12 Aircraft crashed in the Crimea. Three dead. Eyewitness Accounts. PHOTO

Beriev Be-12 Aircraft of the Russian Black Sea Fleet plane crashed in the Crimea, three dead, one wounded

This was reported to the Russian media by the source in the power structures of Russia. This information was confirmed later by the Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Igor Konashenkov.

According to him, the anti-amphibious aircraft’s accident occurred at about 17.15 MSK in the area of the Kacha airport. Three people died on the spot, another was delivered to the hospital.

Preliminary cause of the accident was the failure of one of the engines.

According to the readers of Sevastopol forum and 318ocap.ucoz.ru site, the accident took place during landing of the Be-12 at the Kacha airport on the strip 250 meters from the threshold.

The young pilots Ruslan Vasilyev (05/02/1979), Dmitry Tarasov (12/29/1986), Maxim Podnebesov (11/07/1987) died. Radio operator Dmitry Mikhailov is alive.

The authors of the forums describe the events’ sequence as follows: development of smoke, failure of right engine, hard touchdown with abrupt impact of the crew cabin; then the aircraft rolled inverted, fell to pieces; its tail broke off and fell off flying; an explosion of fuel followed.

Be-12 (Chayka/Seagull) - anti-amphibious aircraft; in the inventory of the air forces of the Russian Navy - since 1960; owned by the 7057 Composite Air Base of the Black Sea Navy of Russian Federation, deployed at Kacha (Sevastopol).

Deployed in the garrison are: anti-amphibious aircrafts Be-12, military transport aircrafts AN-26, search and rescue helicopters Kamov Ka-27PS (Helix) and anti-submarine warfare helicopters Ka-27PL (Helix-A). Most of aircrafts are nearly 40 years old.

English translation by Alexey Soloviev, BSN

Adapted from Rosbalt, sergeydolya.livejournal.com