It was Wednesday afternoon, September 7, 2011, when the three-engine Jakovlev was starting at the Airport Tunoshna near Jaroslavl. On board was a complete team of the Locomotive Jaroslavl, the implementation team and the crew, and everyone was heading for Minsk at the first match of the new KHL season. But the take-off failed. The machine was unable to peel off in time, after crossing the grassy foreground, it crashed into the antenna system and in the right tilt it fell to the ground. A fire and destruction of the torso followed. Of the 45 people, two passengers, Alexander Galimov and mechanic Alexander Sizov survived. Galimov died on September 12 consequently of heavy burns.
All players of the Locomotive, including the Slovak representative Pavol Demitra, were on board. President IIHF René Fasel said then: “This disaster represents the darkest day in the history of our sport.”
Aircraft start step by step
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The aircraft started from the 23 track and was still about 2,700 meters used. It speeded up to approximately 165 kilometers per hour, then the acceleration slowed down. The crew began to lift the aircraft at about 185 kilometers per hour, which was the value set wrong, it was supposed to be about 210 kilometers per hour. When the machine did not respond to the pulling,the captain only ordered full take-off power. Even so, the aircraft was starting only slowly and got a maximum of approximately 230 kilometers per hour. Investigators explained this by the braking force created by the unconscious branch of the second pilot. The crew thought it had already exceeded the speed of V1, a boundary to which it was possible to safely interrupt the take-off and continued. The machine ran over the end of the track and drove about 450 meters on the grass, where the crew tried to help adjust the stabilizer settings. Although the aircraft peeled off, it caught the antennas of the zoom system and container at the track. the angle of starting increase
Jaroslavl Plane Crash: A Decade Later
The tragic plane crash near Jaroslavl, Russia, on September 7, 2011, remains a dark day in the history of ice hockey. The Yak-42 aircraft, operated by Yak Service, was carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team to Minsk, Belarus, for the start of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) season. All 45 people on board – players, coaches, and crew – perished in the disaster.
The days following the crash were filled with confusion and conflicting reports. Initial facts from Russian stations suggested a fire on board and a fall from a height of approximately 500 meters. Though, these early accounts proved inaccurate, as later confirmed by the official examination. The tragedy prompted an immediate response from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who was in Jaroslavl at the time. He called for a minute of silence and dispatched Deputy Presidential Management Vladislav Surkov to the crash site.
The aircraft involved, registered as RA-42434, was a Yak-42D in a salon modification. It had accumulated approximately 6,500 flight hours, well within its 12,000-hour limit, and its overall design life remained viable. Just hours before the disaster, a conversation with Pepa Vašíček revealed the team’s excitement for the upcoming KHL season.
(Image: Air accident in Jaroslavli in 2011. photo: MAK, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Four lives that we will not forget
Jan Marek † 31
Marek grew up in Třinec and entered a wider awareness in Sparta, where he helped in 2006 to the title. After the transfer to Magnitogorsk, he ranked among the most productive attackers of the competition. His peace of mind at the crucial moments has fully showed at the 2010 World Cup in Germany. In a duel with Finland and Sweden, he changed the decisive raids and the Czech team came to sensational gold.In the summer of 2011 his son was born. According to the attached sources, he had a respect from flying, which his loved ones knew. He was one of the most prominent faces of the generation that brought the Czech Republic the joy of 2010.
Karel Rachůnek † 32
Zlín offspring, defender with the reputation of the heart. He joined Ottawa, Rangers and New Jersey in the NHL and was one of the support of Jaroslavl in Russia, with whom he won the title in the 2005 to 2006 season. At the 2010 World Championship,he entered the memory goal in the semi -final with Sweden seven and a half seconds before the end of the third period. A year later, at the Championship in Bratislava, he also captivated a hard clash with the Yevgeny Arťuchin, after which the plexiglass burst. It was a reaction to Russian interventions from the previous match. Before the season 2011 to 2012, he considered returning to Sparta to play with his brothers, and eventually decided to stay in Jaroslavl. His wife and two little daughters were waiting for him at home.
Josef Vašíček † 30
Middle striker, World Champion 2005 and Stanley Cup winner 2006 with Carolina Hurricanes. In the final in Vienna 2005, he seated the win to the empty goal. czech fans also remember his participation in the 2004 World Cup and included in the Olympic team in Vancouver 2010.After working in the NHL, he headed to KHL and became a support for Jaroslavl. He also talked about health problems with his back and considerations of the end of his career:
“I am a
trying and farewell in Jaroslavl and Prague
The main funeral ceremony took place on Saturday, September 10 in the Jaroslavl hall. Photographs of victims were exhibited on the ice and at seven players and seven members of the implementation team and coffins. Approximately one hundred thousand people arrived, including Russian Prime minister Vladimir Putin, IIHF President René Fasel, Russian hockey president Vladislav Treťjak and many other personalities.The bodies of the three Czech representatives were transported to the homeland by an army special on Saturday night. A day later, September 11, Prague gathered on the Old Town Square. The commemorative memory was moderated by Robert Záruba, the short speech was made by the chairman of the Czechoslovakia Tomá
The Past Context of Air Tragedies in sports
The recent aviation incident impacting the sporting world sadly echoes a somber history. Throughout the decades, numerous teams and athletes have been tragically lost in air disasters, leaving lasting scars on the world of sports and the communities they represented.
This is not the first time an aerial disaster has struck the world of sports.some notable past tragedies include:
1948: Members of the Czechoslovak hockey team perished in a plane crash. https://www.iihf.com/en/news/23841/remembering-the-1948-czech-team-plane-crash
1949: The entire AC Turin football team was lost in the superga air disaster. https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/026c-12c999999999-100000–1000–100026-1000000000-100000000000/
1958: The Munich air disaster claimed the lives of eight Manchester United players and staff. https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/munich-air-disaster-65th-anniversary
1961: A plane crash tragically killed the entire U.S. figure skating team. https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/remembering-1961-plane-crash-killed-entire-us-figure-skating-team
1972: Members of the Old Christians Club rugby team from Uruguay were involved in a plane crash in the Andes mountains, leading to a harrowing survival story. https://www.britannica.com/event/Andes-flight-disaster
1993: A plane crash claimed the lives of 18 members of the Zambian national football team. https://www.nhl.com/news/lokomotiv-yaroslavl-plane-crash-10th-anniversary/c-328149462
These events are more than just statistics; they represent profound human loss. The impact extends far beyond the immediate victims,affecting families,friends,teammates,and entire communities. The Lokomotiv Yaroslavl tragedy, in particular, is remembered