Cadets from St. Petersburg killed in air crash near Orsk

On February 2, a Diamond DA 40 training aircraft crashed in the Orenburg region. The incident occurred around 13:00 local time in the settlement of Dzhantalap, which is part of the Orsk urban district. There were three people on board, and according to preliminary data, all of them died.

The aircraft belonged to the St. Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation (SPbSUCA). At the time of the incident, the university stated that details were being clarified. «We are not yet aware of the details, we are finding out,» responded the educational institution.

The Transport Investigative Committee has launched a pre-investigation check into the crash. The investigation is being conducted under Article 263 of the Russian Criminal Code (violation of safety rules for the movement and operation of air transport).

According to information received from university students, two fourth-year students undergoing flight practice in Orsk may have been on board. Their classmates reported that the young men did not make contact after a morning training flight.

• One of the deceased students was 21 years old and was from Voskresensk near Moscow.
• The second student was just five days away from his 21st birthday. He was from Yekaterinburg, where he graduated from a lyceum.

In their social media accounts, both young men posted photos with airplanes and indicated SPbSUCA as their place of study.