YAROSLAVL, Russia — The only survivor of a Russian plane crash that killed almost an entire professional hockey team said the flight went wrong from the beginning.
Crew member Alexander Sizov said the trouble started as soon as the plane began accelerating and that it was clear the aircraft would crash as soon as it took off, Ria Novosti reported.
Several former NHL players were among the 44 people who died after the Yak-42 aircraft, which was carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) team, crashed shortly after takeoff near the western city of Yaroslavl.
Sizov said, “Passengers started to worry almost immediately why we were not taking off. Shortly after, I understood that the plane would run off the runway. When we took off, it was clear that the plane was rolling and we would soon crash.”
The aircraft engineer, who was in the cabin during takeoff and did not have his safety belt fastened, added, “Everything flew on impact. I was hit hard by something — the right side of my body is all broken. I found myself in water. I didn’t notice anything around me. I didn’t notice the plane wreckage, I didn’t notice the fire, I saw nothing.”
The 52 year old said he “survived by a miracle” but added that he would not quit flying.