Two pilots and a passenger on board an Antonov An-2 single-engine biplane were killed in a crash in the Russian southwestern Orenburg Region on Saturday, Sputnik News quoted a senior assistant to the head of local investigation department on Saturday.

The plane crashed during a mission to examine an oil pipeline for Russia's Transneft energy company. The aircraft was completely destroyed.

According to Natalia Gunkina, an investigation has been launched into the crash. The investigators consider three possible causes of the crash, namely technical malfunction, violation of safety rules and poor weather conditions.

According to weather forecasters, strong wind and sleet prevailed in the Orenburg region early on Saturday.

Source: MENA