Russia mourns hockey team killed in jet crash

YAROSLAVL, Russia?? Investigators on Thursday searched for flight recorders in the shattered remains of an airliner that crashed on the banks of the Volga River, killing 43 people including most of one of Russia's premier ice hockey teams.

The recorders could provide key information explaining why the Yak-42 crashed just after takeoff Wednesday from the Yaroslavl airport, 150 miles northeast of Moscow.

The Interstate Aviation Committee said the recorders were believed to be in the tail section of the jet, which is partly submerged in the river.

The victims included 36 players, coaches and officials of Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, which had been heading to Minsk, Belarus to play its opening game of the Kontinental Hockey League season.

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On Thursday morning, hundreds of local residents gathered at the city's Russian Orthodox cathedral to mourn the victims. Many of them wore team scarves, some of the women using them to cover their heads as church ritual requires.

In recent years, Russia and some other former Soviet republics have had some of the world's worst air traffic safety records. Experts blame the age of the aircraft, weak government controls, poor pilot training and a cost-cutting mentality.

Video: Russia mourns hockey team killed in plane crash (on this page)

The crashed jet was built in 1993 and one of its three engines was replaced a month ago, Deputy Transport Minister Valery Okulov told Russian media on Thursday.

It is unclear whether technical failure played a role in the crash, but the plane apparently struggled to gain altitude and then hit a signal tower before breaking apart along the Volga.

Okulov said federal transportation authorities are considering whether to halt flights by Yak-42s, Okulov was quoted as saying by the state news agency RIA Novosti. There are 57 of the planes in service in Russia, the agency said.

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There were only two crash survivors and both were reported as being in serious condition on Thursday.

Candles flickered beside mounds of red carnations at Yaroslavl Lokomotiv's stadium Thursday as fans and players across the world paid tribute to the team.

'The whole country is grieving'
Many fans flocked to the stadium soon after the crash and left team scarves as well as flowers beside the stadium wall. Some were in tears. Others chanted the names of the players before going home late on Wednesday evening.

Story: Russian plane carrying top hockey team crashes, 43 reported dead

"Tears on the ice," Russia's popular Tvoi Den newspaper said on its front page under a picture of the squad on the ice. "Yet another terrible air crash has shaken Russia," it said.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who was due to speak on Thursday at a political conference taking place at the club's stadium, expressed condolences to the relatives of the victims.

"Lokomotiv fans are grieving, the whole country is grieving," said Medvedev, who visited the crash site Thursday.

Condolences also poured in from abroad after the crash, which raised concerns about the safety of Russia's aging fleet of passenger planes.

International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel sent his condolences from the global ice hockey community and Russia's Kommersant-FM radio station said players from other hockey teams were offering to help rebuild the team.

Only one of the 37 players and team officials on board survived the disaster, reviving memories of a plane crash in 1958 which killed many of English soccer club Manchester United's players.

Among the dead were Lokomotiv coach and National Hockey League veteran Brad McCrimmon, a Canadian; assistant coach Alexander Karpovtsev, one of the first Russians to have his name etched on the Stanley Cup as a member of the New York Rangers; and Pavol Demitra, who played for the St. Louis Blues and the Vancouver Canucks and was the Slovakian national team captain.

Other standouts killed were Czech players Josef Vasicek, Karel Rachunek and Jan Marek, Swedish goalie Stefan Liv, Latvian defenseman Karlis Skrastins and defenseman Ruslan Salei of Belarus.

Emergency workers quoted by Russian news agencies said they were still searching the waters of the Volga River where the plane crashed.

The player who survived was Alexander Galimov, who hospital doctors said had burns over 90 percent of his body.

The other survivor, one of the eight crew on board, was also in critical condition.

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Witnesses including fishermen on the Volga River said they heard loud bangs as the plane crashed into the ground soon after take-off, bursting into flames.

Russian investigators said they believed the crash was caused either by faulty equipment or pilot error, although weather conditions were excellent.

The team has been on its way to a match in Minsk, the capital of Belarus.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44436157/ns/world_news-europe/

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