Emergencies Ministry: Engine fire cause of deadly jet crash in Ukraine

The cause of Saturday's crash of an Aero L-39 Albatros combat jet trainer in Ukraine that killed the cadet piloting it was that its engine caught fire shortly after take-off, the Emergencies Ministry of Ukraine said.

"It has been found out that the engine of the aircraft caught fire during ascent. As a result, the plane fell onto the runway," the ministry said in a statement. "The fire was immediately extinguished by personnel from the [local] military base."

The ministry said the crash occurred on the premises of a base in Chuhuyiv, Kharkiv region, belonging to Kharkiv Air Force University.

Earlier, the Defense Ministry said the 21-year-old third-year cadet who piloted the single-engine jet had 71 successful flights on his record.

Defense Ministry and armed forces general staff officials went to the Chuhuyiv base, and an investigation was launched. All of the country's L-39 planes were grounded until the inquiry was over.