A Transaero Boeing 747-200 jetliner rolled off a runway while preparing to
take off from the Black Sea city of Burgas for Moscow on Tuesday. None of the
207 passengers and crew was injured.
"Due to a malfunction in the parking brakes, the plane rolled off the tarmac at
Burgas Airport," a Bulgarian Transportation Ministry spokesman said.
In Moscow, Transaero spokesman Sergei Bykhal said it was not clear whether the
brakes had failed.
He said the plane had been awaiting approval to begin taxiing for takeoff when
it unexpectedly moved a few meters and one of the wheels rolled off the
pavement.
The Russian Transportation Ministry said it would investigate the incident,
Interfax reported. It also said it would open an inquiry into a large number of
delays with the airline's flights. A special commission is to analyze the
reasons for the delays by the end of June. (AP, MT)