Fifteen killed in Uzbekistan transport plane crash

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An An-2 transport plane carrying servicemen has crashed in the Tashkent region of Uzbekistan, killing all 15 people on board, the republic's emergencies ministry said Thursday.

The plane, carrying 13 Uzbek troops and two crewmen, crashed while landing during a training flight, after the crew apparently lost control due to poor weather conditions, the ministry said.

A government commission has been set up to investigate the crash, and the government has offered assistance to the families of the victims, the statement said.

The An-2 Colt general purpose and transport aircraft, designed by Antonov design bureau for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in the former Soviet Union, was subsequently adopted by the Soviet Air Force and built for export to at least 26 developing countries, due to its low maintenance requirements and simple controls. It has been in serial production for more than 50 years.

The single-engine biplane has load capacity of up to 1,500 kilograms (3,300 pounds) and passenger capacity of 12.

The most recent An-2 crash occurred on August 13 in ex-Soviet republic of Kazakhstan. The plane, performing agricultural tasks, crashed during the landing killing a pilot and seriously injuring another pilot.

(RIA Novosti)