Russian Hockey Tragedy

[MaTH716]

Just a horrible story.

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...team-crashes/1

[pgiaco]

Brutal....several familiar names among the feared killed..

[Bigsmc]

Is it me or are there an inordianate amount of plane crashes in Russia? Seems like we are reading about one going down every few months.

Maybe whomever is in charge of inspections over there should be investigated.

[pgiaco]

I think a lot of it has to do with aging Soviet-era aircraft, as well as shabby maintenance/inspections. Seems like everyone of these planes that go down there are from the 70's and 80's.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

Is it me or are there an inordianate amount of plane crashes in Russia? Seems like we are reading about one going down every few months.

Maybe whomever is in charge of inspections over there should be investigated.

They drink Vodka like we drink bottled water

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

Is it me or are there an inordianate amount of plane crashes in Russia? Seems like we are reading about one going down every few months.

Maybe whomever is in charge of inspections over there should be investigated.

My perception (and I could be 100% wrong about this) is that many countries (airlines), purchase old planes from other various countries (most notably the U.S.). I'm guessing that many of these countries do not have the same standards that we have over here. Plus it takes alot more to keep these older planes going.

FWIW: I thought that I heard that this crash was pilot error. But, I also think that's always the first guess so early in to any investigation.

[slotdirt]

It's all about craftsmanship. We have plenty of planes active in the US that were built in the 70's and 80's. Boeing and M-D and the other American aviation companies just did things better than YAK.

Anyway, sad to see Ruslan Salei and Brad McCrimmon as well as Pavol Demitra appear to be among the dead. Very sad story.

[hi_im_god]

aeroflot retired all it's soviet era tupolev's in 2009. they're still flown by smaller regional carriers and in some former soviet republic's.

no russia based airline can fly them beginning next year.

the newer tupolev's are supposed to be a lot more reliable. if you travel to that part of the world i'd be careful to make sure any plane you fly in is less than 20 years old.

[slotdirt]

The plane that crashed apparently went into service in 1993.

Like I said, lots of planes in service for American airlines are 20-30 years old; I'd think our standard of maintenance is just considerably higher.

[mclem0822]

Terrible story. The NHL has had quite a sad few months.

[MaTH716]

There were actually 2 survivors, including 1 player.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/r...-moscow-090811

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

Is it me or are there an inordianate amount of plane crashes in Russia? Seems like we are reading about one going down every few months.

Maybe whomever is in charge of inspections over there should be investigated.

thank you..ive said that when i was supposed to go for work...to much vodka on the job......

[Danzig]

maybe they have the same mentality towards airliners as they did towards their navy back in the day. they were always quantity over quality then. and yeah, alcoholism is absolutely rampant. vodka at lunch-they have negative population growth over there.

what a shame, so sorry for their families and loved ones.

[Bigsmc]

Originally Posted by hoovesupsideyourhead

thank you..ive said that when i was supposed to go for work...to much vodka on the job......

In fact, Lecavalier said all the Russian players would joke, "Oh, this is a Russian plane, be careful."

"Just old. Everything, I don’t know. I didn’t feel safe in the air. I was happy to come back and fly in America. I didn’t feel that the safety we talk about so much over here is the same over there. In the plane, though, it just looked old. It just didn’t look right. It seems that things are done 80 percent of the way or 90 percent. It’s not like here. It’s sad."

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/lightn...harters-russia

[golfer]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

In fact, Lecavalier said all the Russian players would joke, "Oh, this is a Russian plane, be careful."

"Just old. Everything, I don’t know. I didn’t feel safe in the air. I was happy to come back and fly in America. I didn’t feel that the safety we talk about so much over here is the same over there. In the plane, though, it just looked old. It just didn’t look right. It seems that things are done 80 percent of the way or 90 percent. It’s not like here. It’s sad."

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/lightn...harters-russia

Conflicting information about Lecavalier's friend Ruslan Salei, this article says he was NOT on that plane:

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_...fE0DT4PiP10UoI

"Lokomotiv's recent signing from the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, Belarus international Ruslan Salei, had a lucky escape as he had traveled to Minsk earlier for the season opener."

[slotdirt]

I'm pretty sure there was only conflicting information in the hours following the plane crash on Ruslan Salei. He's among the deceased, sadly.

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

I'm pretty sure there was only conflicting information in the hours following the plane crash on Ruslan Salei. He's among the deceased, sadly.

Yeah, I saw a lot of those reports about Salei waiting for the team in Minsk too, but unfortunately they were incorrect as he perished on that doomed flight.

[3kings]

Was sad to see Beast(Brad McCrimmon) was also on the plane. One of my all time favorite hockey players. Terrible tragedy. I flew aeroflot planes a few times back in 1986 and it was one of my worst travel experiences. Exposed wires hanging out of the bulkhead etc...... Was kissing the ground when I got back to Shannon Airport in Ireland

[MaTH716]

The only surviving player has passed.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/69...ane-crash-dies