12 pilots killed in plane crash in Russia

An AN-22 military aircraft has crashed in central Russia, killing all 12 pilots who were onboard as passengers.

The plane was flying from the city of Voronezh when it disappeared from radar screens late Tuesday, a source at a law enforcement agency told ITAR-TASS news agency. A preliminary investigation says the crash might have been caused by engine failure.The Russian Ministry of Defense, which owns the An-22, said it was a regular training mission and had no cargo onboard.Investigators have recovered the flight recorders from the crashed aircraft.A criminal case over the deaths of the 12 people has been launched by the Investigative Committee.