MOSCOW, March 23 (RIA Novosti) – One person was killed and one injured when a small biplane crashed in south Russia’s Krasnodar Territory on Saturday, the Civil Defense and Emergency Situations Ministry said.
The Antonov An-2, converted for agricultural use, lost engine power three kilometers from the village of Vostochnaya, Labinsk district, the ministry said.
Legendary “Cropduster”
The An-2 first flew as long ago as 1947 and hundreds are still flying in Russia and abroad, powered by the same nine-cylinder radial engine and four-blade propeller as was used in the initial design.
The An-2 is the most widely produced aircraft in history (over 20,000 built). The aircraft is still used for numerous roles including crop-dusting, parachute trainer, light transport, local passenger transport and military roles.
Russia has a chronic need for a new generation of small regional aircraft to service remote communities in areas with poor road and rail links. Regional aviation has fallen into steep decline since the collapse of the USSR in 1991.