THE Polish pilot hailed as a hero for his smooth emergency landing of a Boeing airliner remained modest yesterday in his first public appearance, saying he felt “huge relief” once his passengers evacuated the plane, but wondered whether he could have done better.

The jet crash that killed an entire Russian professional hockey team was caused by pilot error, investigators said today.

RUSSIA’S President Dmitry Medvedev called for immediate changes in his country’s troubled aviation industry — including sharply reducing the number of airlines — as the country mourned a crash that killed 43 people and devastated a top ice hockey team.

President Dmitry Medvedev has called for rapid changes in Russia’s troubled air transport industry as the country mourned a crash that killed 43 people, among them most of a leading hockey team.

Investigators were today searching for flight recorders in the shattered remains of an airliner that crashed on the banks of the Volga River, killing 43 people including most of one of Russia's premier hockey teams.

A PLANE carrying a Russian ice hockey team to a season-opening match crashed after takeoff from a provincial airport, with 43 people feared dead.

An airliner carrying a top ice hockey team has crashed on take off in Russia, killing at least 43 people.

A Russian airliner carrying an ice hockey team has crashed on take off killing 36 people.

Aston Villa manager David O’Leary has been running the rule over potential targets in the Russian primera Liga.

Middlesbrough’s new signing Emanuel Pogatetz will have to wait until next Friday to learn his fate after launching an appeal against his 24-week ban.