Russian hydroplane makes emergency landing in the Caspian Sea

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - The Russian built Amphibian airplane LA-8 has made an emergency landing 145 kilometers away from Fort-Shevchenko on the border of Atyrau and Mangystau regions in the Caspian Sea.

The plane was flying from Russian city of Samara to Iran. The second plane was moving on the same route and landed at the airport of Aktau at 2:50 p.m. According to the spokesman of the Emergency Situations Department of Mangystau region Gulnara Hodzhabekova, the aero navigation dispatcher reported that today at 2:50 a.m. a light airplane crash-landed in the Caspian Sea with two pilots on board. To rescue the pilots "Egemen" patrol ship was sent from Aktau and Mi-8 helicopter took off from Atyrau with three rescuers and two crew members on board. In addition "Agip KCO" company sent "Augusta 906" rescue helicopter with 2 rescuers and two pilots on board. At 4:35 the two pilots of the hydroplane boarded the rescue helicopter and flew to Atyrau. A. Ivanov and S. Alafeyev, pilots of the landed plane, are citizens of the Russian Federation. They were safe and sound.