An An-12 cargo plane crashed on Saturday evening, July 16, west of the city of Kavala in eastern Greece. According to preliminary data, there was a crew of eight on board.
While the channel is broadcast ERTThe search and rescue continues. It is known that the plane was 10 nautical miles west of Kavala when it was last seen on the radar screen.
The pilot reported that one of the four engines had failed and was immediately cleared for an emergency landing at the airport in Kavala. The An-12 made a 180-degree turn in the sky over the Athos peninsula and landed, but began to lose altitude with a burning engine.
It is assumed that during landing, the aircraft crashed into a power line due to which the entire area was without power. The wreckage of the An-12 was found near the village of Paleochori in the municipality of Pangeo, 40 km from Kavala airport. According to eyewitnesses, the plane crashed into the cornfield, explosions occurred.
What was carrying the falling board
The An-12 reportedly operated a commercial transport flight from Serbia to Jordan. Greek media gives the flight number – MEM3032 (Meridian Air Cargo). According to one version, the plane belonged to a Ukrainian company and allegedly could carry 12 tons of ammunition – such an assumption was made by the representative of the Greek Civil Protection Service.
“Firefighters have formed a perimeter around the fallen side, the flames have already decreased significantly. The military is now sending a special group to decide on the possibility of extinguishing the fire. Until we are told not to approach the plane. Maybe there is ammunition there,” he said.
However, it is not known what kind of cargo the plane was carrying, as the Greek Civil Aviation Authority has not yet received official information from a similar service in Serbia, the TV channel reported. open.
A special drone was launched at the crash site to determine if there were any surviving crew members. According to journalists working there, everyone was told to wear a protective mask, as a certain smell was coming from the fire area.
Subsequently, firefighters and journalists were taken 1 km from the crashed plane – such a request was made by the fire department headquarters, since the toxicity of the cargo transported by the plane was unknown. Experts must decide on further actions to continue the search for the “black box”.
Two firefighters, who had respiratory distress due to heavy smoke in the accident area, were taken to the hospital in Kavala. It was also decided to evacuate the residents of the houses in the nearest villages to a safe distance.
Explosions were heard at the crash site for two hours, recently they almost stopped. Authorities fear that toxic gases could be released from there.
Residents of the area where the plane crashed were asked to keep doors, windows and air conditioners closed to avoid contact with the air. As a transmission skaiit may be necessary to evacuate the local population – from 1000 to 1200 people.
Serbian media is also reporting the version about the ammunition transport. According to them, the plane belonged to a private American company operating in Ukraine. Its previous route was from Ukraine to Serbia with a stop in Turkey.
So far, Serbian authorities have not made an official statement about this transport aircraft. Witnesses living near Niš Airport said they saw the plane take off last night and said it was “a bit of a bumpy ride”.
Military analyst Phaedon Karaiosifidis told ERT that this particular plane began its career in 1971 and was part of the Soviet transport regiment. In recent years, it was classified as a military aircraft and came under the control of Aeroflot and 10 other owners. “He was in a Ukrainian company that has been using him extensively for the last 10 months. Let’s not forget that Serbia produces and exports ammunition, it has many customers in the Middle East,” he said.