Bruce, sad, sad hockey plane crash in Russia

[Westman]

....or thereabouts. A lot of your former NHL familar faces have been lost.

[Bruce]

Two Of The Players Aboard Played In Milwaukee

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/129398908.html

Two of the players aboard that plane, Robert Dietrich and Karlis Skrastins, played for the Milwaukee Admirals, according to the NASHVILLE TENNESSEAN.
The NHL Nashville Predators are the parent club of the Admirals. Skarastins and Dietrich also played for the Predators.

Dietrich, a defenseman who was born in Germany, played in Milwaukee from 2008 through 2010.

Skrastins, a defenseman who was born in Latvia, played in Milwaukee from 1998 to 2000.

Their Lokomotiv team is one of the top teams in the Kontinental Hockey League, finished in third place last year. The KHL has teams in Russia, Belarus, Latvia, Slovakia, and Kazakhstan.

[Bruce]

It's A Small World

Karlis Skrastins joined the NHL Colorado Avalanche in 2003, where he played for more than three seasons. During the 2007-08 season, the Avalanche traded him to the Florida Panthers for Ruslan Salei, who was also aboard that ill-fated plane.

[Hortical]

Russian plane crash highlights air travel safety issues

Russian plane crash highlights air travel safety issues

The disaster that killed dozens of hockey players combines two of the nation's best and worst points: its growing professional hockey league and its problematic air travel system.


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,7833312.story

[Peter R]

I wonder what Etoo will be travelling on... if him smart him buy him own plane and hire a pilot.Those russian planes have a bad track record....

[Bruce]

To my knowledge, a tragedy such as this has never happened in modern professional sports, except for the Zambian national team plane crash in 1992 or 1993.

In the 1970's three US college teams were wiped out in plane crashes: Wichita State University football, Marshall University football, and Evansville University basketball.

Many years ago, there was a crash with fatalities at LAX airport. A plane had landed and was going down the runway when another plane pulled out into the path of the first plane.

The NHL Vancouver Canucks' team plane had landed on the same runway one plane earlier.

[MdmeX]

Very sad.

Bruce - don't forget the crash in 1961 that killed the entire US figure skating team on their way to the World Championships. The plane crashed in Brussels killing everyone on board.

[Hortical]

1958: United players killed in air disaster

1958: United players killed in air disaster

February 6, 1958

Seven Manchester United footballers are among 21 dead after an air crash in Munich. The British European Airways (BEA) plane caught fire shortly after take off this afternoon with 38 passengers and six crew on board.
The footballing world is reeling from the loss of some of its most talented young players - known as the Busby Babes.
Their average age was 24 and they included Roger Byrne - the captain - Mark Jones, Eddie Colman, Tommy Taylor, Liam Whelan, David Pegg and Geoff Bent.



Queen 'deeply shocked'

Eight British sports journalists and several club officials have also been killed.
The Queen has said she is "deeply shocked" and has sent a message of condolence to the Lord Mayor of Manchester and Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation.
The chartered aircraft was bringing the Manchester United entourage back from a European Cup match against Red Star Belgrade in Yugoslavia and had stopped at Munich's Riem Airport to refuel.
On the third attempt to take off the plane over-shot the runway, hit a house with its port wing, veered to the right, hit another building and burst into flames.
The fuselage did not catch fire and several crew and passengers went back into the wreckage to rescue the injured.
Team manager Matt Busby was described as being the most seriously hurt and is being given blood transfusions in hospital.
Star striker Bobby Charlton has been treated for slight head injuries.
According to the Chief Executive of BEA, A. H. Milward, there was a heavy snowstorm in Munich and the pilot delayed departure because he was dissatisfied with one of the plane's engines.
This was the first fatal accident for this type of BEA aeroplane, which has carried 2,340,000 passengers on 86,000 flights since it began service in 1952.
The same plane - called Lord Burghley - took the Manchester United entourage out to Belgrade on Monday.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/d...00/2535961.stm

[Hortical]

Russian Plane Crash: True Reforms Could Save Hundreds

Russian Plane Crash: True Reforms Could Save Hundreds

After the crash of a Russian jet on Wednesday, President Dmitry Medvedev demanded "radical" reforms in the country's private airline industry.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/2106...i-medvedev.htm