Inquirer.net, Philippines –
Feb 14 2008

Belarussian plane crashes on takeoff in Armenia–officials

Agence France-Presse
First Posted 13:19:00 02/14/2008

YEREVAN — A Belarussian airplane went up in flames on the runway of
Yerevan’s airport while trying to take off, injuring 21 people on
board, local air agency officials told Agence France-Presse Thursday.

A small CRG airplane, owned by Belarus’s Belavia airline and bound
for Minsk, hit its left wing on the runway during takeoff and erupted
into flames, the state civil aviation agency’s spokeswoman Gayan
Davtian said.

"Airport emergency services reacted quickly and rapidly evacuated the
18 passengers and three crew. No one died, but all of them suffered
burns, some of them severe burns," Davtian said, adding that all were
hospitalized.

Of the passengers, 16 were Armenian nationals, she said.

All flights were cancelled at Yerevan’s airport following the
incident.