Five Airplanes Crash in 2010, Two Pilots Killed
There were five airplane crashes last year - compared to just one the year before - leaving two dead and injuring one, the Civil Aviation Administration revealed in a report.
In addition to three drastic incidents in 2010, there were antoher 76 less serious emergencies.
In one incident, a Polish cargo plane landed on a frozen over Lake Ülemiste by Tallinn Airport. Another Polish plane was damaged during an unsuccessful takeoff.
An Estonian pilot died after his glider, which was towed to a takeoff from Rapla airport, lost control at a low altitude and crashed into the ground. Another glider pilot died in Narva when attempting to land. In Tartu, the landing gear and wing of a homemade glider fell apart during takeoff, cauring non-serious injuries to the pilot.
Of emergency incidents in 2010, 11 resulted from faulty piloting, communication or navigation devices; eight involved canceled takeoffs after emergency alerts; seven involved landing gear, six involved violent or disobedient passengers; five involved the air systems; four involved engine problems; and two involved bomb threats.
No accidents have occured so far this year, but there were four serious incidents. There were three crashes in 2007 and two in 2008.
Ott Tammik