MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s top investigative agency says that a Russian
plane crash that killed 31 people most likely was caused by a failure to de-ice the aircraft.
The ATR-72 turboprop belonging to UTair slammed into a snowy field minutes
after taking off Monday from the Siberian city of Tyumen with 43 people aboard. Twelve survivors remain in serious
condition.
The state Investigative Committee said Wednesday the French-Italian-made aircraft hadn’t been properly
de-iced before takeoff, which appears to have been “the most likely reason of the crash.” The agency said further analysis of
technical data would be required before a final verdict.
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Russia has seen
a string of deadly crashes in recent years, which have been blamed on lax government controls and widespread neglect of
safety.