An passenger jet operated by the carrier Ukrainian - Mediterranean Airlines (UM Air) made an emergency landing after an engine failure, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday, according to dpa. All passengers and crew aboard the Douglas DC-9 aircraft were uninjured. The flight from the eastern Ukraine city Zaporizhia bound for the Turkish resort of Antalia had begun normally. The crew noted the right engine was losing power as the plane reached an altitude of 6,400 metres. The senior pilot declared an emergency, switched off the failing engine, and landed at Zaporizhia. The incident took place during a dispute between UM Air and the Ministry of Transportation which had cited safety violations as grounds for a July 27 revocation of the airline's operating licence. UM Air lawyers challenged the ruling, and a Kiev judge put a stay on the Transport Ministry order. UM Air executives have claimed their company was targeted by bureaucrats friendly to UM Air competitors. The airline was founded in 2000. Its worst accident to date was the 26 May 2003 crash of a Soviet-manufactured Yak-42 airliner near Trabzon Turkey, killing all 75 on board including 62 Spanish troops returning home from Afghanistan. Investigators later blamed bad weather and pilot error while trying to land.
