Pilot killed in light plane crash in Russia

Moscow, May 16 (IANS/RIA Novosti) An Antonov An-2 light plane crashed in southern Russia's Stavropol region, killing the pilot, police said.

The plane was carrying out agricultural work on the fields near Chernolesskoye village, when it began losing altitude for unknown reasons and crashed, the emergencies ministry said.

The accident did not result in any damage on the ground, the ministry said.

Police said the plane hit an overhead power line before it crashed.

A spokesman said only one person was inside the plane during the crash, though a police source told RIA Novosti that two people were thought to have been on board.

"One of them died and the fate of the second remains unknown," the source said.

Earlier this month, another An-2 light aircraft was found that had gone missing in June 2012 after being taken for a joyride from an airfield in the Urals town of Serov by revellers who did not inform air traffic control.

The remains of 13 people were recovered from the crash scene of the An-2 plane.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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