Bodies recovered in Russian plane crash

YAROSLAVL, Russia, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Rescue workers in Russia Thursday recovered the bodies of all 43 people killed when a Yak-Service airliner crashed after takeoff, officials said.

The Yak-42 aircraft was carrying members of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team to Minsk, Belarus, when it plunged into a tributary of the Volga River and burst into flames Wednesday, RIA Novosti reported.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev traveled to the crash site Thursday and laid red roses on the bank of the Tunoshonka River where wreckage of the plane remained in the water.

Russian transportation authorities said they planned to conduct an unscheduled safety check of all airlines that operate Yak-42 aircraft as they investigate the cause of Wednesday's crash.

The only survivors were Russian hockey player Alexander Galimov and one of the aircraft's eight crew members. Both were reported in critical condition.

Among those killed was former NHL defenseman Brad McCrimmon, who played for the Detroit Red Wings, and forward Pavrol Demitra, who played for parts of 16 seasons with five NHL teams.

McCrimmon was the newly appointed coach of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team.