Balashov Air Base

Balashov air base is a military air base located 9 km east of Balashov, Saratov Oblast, Russia. It is owned by the Ministry of Defence and operated by the Russian Aerospace Forces. The base is currently home to the 606th Training Aviation Regiment of the 785th Aviation Training Center for Long-Range and Military Transport Aviation, which operates Antonov An-26 aircraft. Historically, in 1990, the 606th Training Aviation Regiment was part of the Balashov Higher Military Aviation School for Pilots, subordinated to the Air Forces of the Volga-Ural Military District, with the associated school dating back to the 1930s. On May 30, 2017, an An-26 aircraft from the 6th Aviation Faculty of the Zhukovsky – Gagarin Air Force Academy crashed during a training flight while landing at the airfield, approximately 150 meters from the runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed, resulting in the death of one cadet and injuries to the crew members. The probable cause of the crash was engine failure.