Charges Filed 1-Year After Tragic Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Plane Crash

Charges Brought Against Airline Executives In Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Crash

A former executive of Yak Service Airlines has been charged in connection with the plane crash that killed the entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team last September. Vadim Timofeev is accused of violating the rules of air traffic safety and air transport operation, according to Investigative Committee's spokesman Vladimir Markin, who told RIA-Novosti. Investigators said Timofeev was in charge of flight operations at Yak Service, with control of the pilots' qualification being his direct responsibility. The crew was supposedly unqualified.

The Yak-42 aircraft carrying the KHL side Lokomotiv crashed just a few minutes after taking off from Yaroslavl airport on Sept. 7, 2011.

"By putting the crew in the air Timofeev broke the rules of air transport operations. At the moment of the disaster, that crew wasn't entitled to fly," Markin stressed. "Timofeev had allowed the captain to fly based on falsified documents, and the co-pilot hadn't finished his training on the Yak-42 plane and had no right to be in air."

We'll continue to update this StoryStream with news on the Lokomotiv plane crash.

KHL Plane Crash Probe Cites Pilot Error

The Interstate Aviation Committee ruled that the September 7 plane crash that killed 44 people, including 36 players, coaches and staff of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League, was caused by pilot error, Vladimir Isachenkov of the Associated Press reports.

In addition to citing lax oversight and insufficient crew training, the investigation discovered that one of the two pilots of the Yak 42 plane accidentally activated the brakes and yanked the control to his chest, which pulled the plane up sharply during take off.

The investigation was led by Alexei Morozov, who found that the flight crew had medical issues that should have prohibited them from piloting the aircraft. Morozov also said the crew should have aborted the takeoff, but may have feared reprisals from management, with the AP noting that pilots risk the loss of bonuses when contributing to cost overruns.

"A properly trained pilot would have immediately aborted the takeoff when he saw the nose failing to lift," said Ruben Yesayan, a test pilot who assisted in the investigation. "The plane would simply have rolled past the runway and everyone would have been safe."

KHL Plane Crash Gets A Little More Heartbreaking

Alexander Galimov Dies From Burns Suffered In KHL Plane Crash

Alexander Galimov was one of just two survivors of Wednesday's tragic plane crash in Russia. He is no longer a survivor. After a courageous battle, Galimov succumbed to burns suffered in the crash, which had covered 90 percent of his body. He was 26 years old. 

Galimov was the lone surviving player of the initial crash, which including him claimed 44 people. The entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl KHL team perished in the crash. Galimov had been transported from Yaroslavl, the site of the crash, to a hospital in Moscow to receive special care in an attempt to save his life. 

The final survivor, flight engineer Alexander Sizov, also recovers in a different Moscow hospital this Monday. His injuries were not of the same severity as Galimov, and doctors have said that his life is no longer in danger. 

There are still no conclusions about the cause of the crash. The plane was carrying the team to Minsk, Belarus where they were set to open their season. KHL games, postponed following the crash, will resume on Monday. 

We'll continue to update this StoryStream with news on the Lokomotiv plane crash. 

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Will Not Play In 2011-2012 KHL Season Despite Early Reports

Earlier reports had suggested that the KHL had made contingent plans for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to restart their 2011-2012 season after the tragic plane crash that had taken the lives of the entire team and coaching staff. Even with those plans in place, team President Yuri Yakovlev has reiterated the team's position that the team will not play the 2011-2012 season. 

"This is our steadfast position," said Yakovlev. "Our main priority is to help the families of the victims. Building up a new team will come later."

These comments come as the memorial services for the 25 players and 11 staff members go on at the team's arena in Yaroslavl. Reports say that between 25,000 and 40,000 people showed to pay their respects for the deceased. 

There was a proposed plan to have the other KHL clubs loan players to Lokomotiv and use other free agents that weren't signed to a contract to fill a roster for the season. Building a team and still being able to deal with a tragedy of this magnitude appears to be something that the club is not interested in doing as they will take time off to recover. It is not known at this time when the club will return. 

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Will Play 2011-12 KHL Season Following Plane Crash

It seems impossible to fathom, but at some point this year, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl will take to the ice and play KHL hockey games. We don't know exactly who will make up the roster, although several players from other KHL teams have apparently volunteered to switch teams.

Puck Worlds, SB Nation's international hockey blog, has more details:

Lokomotiv will play in 2011-12.  The makeup of the team is still yet to be determined, but it looks like it will be made up of players on loan from other clubs, free agents, and players who were on the team's MHL and VHL affiliates.  Reports are that around 30 current KHL players have already volunteered to play for Yaroslavl this season. 

In the meantime, Lokomotiv has a new head coach.  Pyotor Vorobyev, who coached Yaroslavl in their late 1990s heyday and was with their MHL club, will be taking over the coaching duties for the 2011-12 season. 

We don't know when Lokomotiv will hit the ice again or when the team will be assembled, but we do know that the KHL season will continue sooner than later. The league announced Thursday that they'll resume the season, which was only in its first day on Wednesday before the tragic plane crash, on Monday, September 12. All canceled games will be played at a later date. 

The Monday date will allow all those associated with the league to attend a memorial service for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, which will take place on Saturday at Yaroslavl Arena. Russia's national airline, Aeroflot, has offered to fly all family and friends of the deceased to the memorial free of charge. 

Some Perspective On Wednesday's KHL Plane Crash

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Releases Statement On KHL Plane Crash

Wednesday, the hockey and sports world continued to try and make sense of the horrific plane crash that claimed the lives of an entire hockey team just outside of Yaroslavl, Russia.

The deaths included former NHLer Brad McCrimmon, head coach of Lokomotiv, and ex-NHL players Karlis Skrastins, Ruslan Salei, Karel Rachunek, Josef Vasicek and Pavol Demitra, as well as New Jersey Devils prospect Alexandner Vasyunov.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement on behalf of the league and its players to the KHL.

"Though it occurred thousands of miles away from our home arenas, this tragedy represents a catastrophic loss to the hockey world -- including the NHL family, which lost so many fathers, sons, teammates and friends who at one time excelled in our League. Our deepest condolences go to the families and loved ones of all who perished."

We'll continue to update this StoryStream with news surrounding Wednesday's plane crash.

KHL Searching For 'Appropriate Way To Proceed' With Season Following Tragic Plane Crash

The Kontinental Hockey League does not yet know how they will proceed with the 2011-12 season in the wake of a horrific plane crash that claimed the lives of an entire hockey team on Wednesday just outside of Yaroslavl, Russia. 

They've released a statement regarding the tragedy, which appears in full below:

"We are only beginning to understand the impact of this tragedy affecting the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl club and the international hockey community. First and foremost, our condolences go out to the families and friends of the players, coaches and staff lost in today's tragedy.

"We know that there are many in the KHL family who will be grieving with us. As the investigation of this tragedy progresses we will work closely with investigators, government officials, club executives and the Yaroslavl community. We are working to find an appropriate way to honor this club and begin the healing process from the deep loss so many of us feel today.

"We are aware that many of you have questions. This tragedy remains our primary focus. We ask for patience as we find an appropriate way to proceed with the 2011/2012 season. We will continue to communicate our plans as they take shape."

We'll continue to update this StoryStream with news surrounding Wednesday's plane crash. 

VIDEO: Russian Plane Crashed Along River Bank, Killing Majority Of KHL Team

A plane carrying the KHL's Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team crashed just after take off on Wednesday, killing all but two of those on board. Several former NHL players are among the dead, and this is just the latest tragedy to strike the hockey world in what's been a long summer of heartbreak. 

In total, 37 passengers and eight crew were reportedly aboard the plane, including the entire hockey team and four members of the Lokomotiv youth squad. 

The plane was a Yakovlev Yak-42, first designed in the 1970s and used by the Soviet Union in combat during the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s. Reports indicate that the plane was operating properly before take off, but that it failed to clear a tower at the end of the runway and crashed shortly after along the bank of the Volga River.

Here's a look at the geography of surrounding the airport. You can easily see the proximity of Tunoshna Airport, located approximately 18 kilometers outside the city of Yaroslavl, to the river.

Russia Today has raw video of the crash site. Warning: This video may be difficult for some to watch.

The team was en route to Minsk, Belarus for the first game of their regular season. One other KHL contest, the first of the league year, was in progress at the time of the crash. The teams stopped playing following news of the tragedy. 

We'll continue to update this StoryStream as we learn more about the crash.

Brad McCrimmon, Pavol Demitra Among Confirmed Dead In Russian Plane Crash

The tragic plane crash in Russia on Wednesday has claimed the lives of the majority of the KHL's Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey club, as has been confirmed by various news sources. Reports vary on the exact death toll, but the Associated Press has reported that at least 43 are dead. 

According to the AP, the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry claimed the plane was carrying 45 people -- 37 passengers and eight crew -- and that just two people survived the crash. One survivor is a flight engineer whose name has not been made public. The other is a player on the hockey team, but his outlook does not look good. 

The agent for Lokomotiv player Alexander Galimov told Russia's Sovetsky Sport that his client is alive but in coma following the crash. According to reporter Dmitry Chesnokov, Galimov was the lone survivor from the team and is in the hospital with burns covering the majority of his body. Unfortunately, Chesnokov also reports that Galimov could still pass away from his injuries despite surgery. In fact, doctors apparently call his survival "unlikely."

We're attempting to piece together various reports and there are a lot of them out there, but we've heard that every member of the ice hockey club was on the plane, meaning that if it's true that Galimov was the lone surviving member of the team, the rest of the club is gone.

That would include former NHLer Brad McCrimmon, head coach of Lokomotiv, and ex-NHL players Karlis Skrastins, Ruslan Salei, Karel Rachunek, Josef Vasicek and Pavol Demitra, as well as New Jersey Devils prospect Alexandner Vasyunov. 

There were reports that Salei was not on the plane, but those seem to be untrue, with Russian officials confirming that he was indeed aboard the flight. Russia Today has confirmed the death of McCrimmon, and Demitra's death was confirmed to the AP by his agent. Vasyunov's death was confirmed by Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello. 

We'll continue updating this StoryStream as we learn more about Wednesday's tragedy.

Several Former NHL Players Feared Dead In Russian Plane Crash

We don't yet officially know exactly who was on the plane that crashed outside Yaroslavl, Russia this Wednesday, but we do know that the plane was carrying almost the entire Lokomotiv hockey team, and there are reports that the majority of those on board have died in the crash. The team was traveling to Minsk for the first game of their season, but the plane crashed on take off. 

According to Sovietsky Sport and Dmirty Chesnokov, a Lokomotiv team official said that the entire team was on the plane, plus four members of the youth team. Other reports are saying that, according to authorities on the ground, 42 people were on board the plane and only two survived. 

We don't know the names of the survivors, but we do know that there was a tragic loss of life Wednesday, and it's likely that several ex-NHL players are among the dead.

Former NHL defenseman Brad McCrimmon is in his first year as head coach of Lokomotiv. Other former NHL players Pavol Demitra, Ruslan Salei, Karel Rachunek, Josef Vasicek and Karlis Skrastins are all members of the club as well and presumably were on the plane. 

We'll update this StoryStream as we learn more about Wednesday's horrific crash. 

Russian Hockey Players Killed In Plane Crash; Majority Of KHL Team Feared Dead