NNA - An N-24 passenger plane with 24 people on board, ran off the runway during take-off in the Khabarovsk region in eastern Russia on Saturday, without causing any casualties.

The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, said that the plane had 20 passengers and 4 crew members on board, and that none of them were injured.

TASS quoted a source in the emergency services as saying that the plane, which was about to fly from the airport in the town of Nilkan, moved onto the runway and began to accelerate, but failed to take off, so the crew was forced to perform emergency braking, which led to the plane leaving the runway by 30 meters, according to  “Russia Today”.

The source explained that the accident did not cause any fire, and that the damage to the plane is currently being assessed. He indicated that investigations are underway to determine the causes of the accident, and that among the possible explanations is a technical malfunction.

==========