The commission investigating the An-24 plane crash in Donetsk on February 13 has concluded that the cause of this accident was a loss of speed by the aircraft during landing approach due to an error of an unprepared crew, which had not been allowed to make the flight in those weather conditions.

"The cause for the crash was a loss of speed by the aircraft during landing approach due to an error of the unprepared crew, which had no clearance to make than flight in those weather condition," Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Vilkol said at a briefing on Wednesday.

He said that according to a decision of the State Aviation Service of Ukraine, Southern Airlines, which operated the crashed plane, is prohibited from making any kind of flight. The investigating authorities are currently holding a pre-trial inquiry, which will result in bringing charges against those responsible for the accident.

As reported, an An-24 aircraft of South Airlines on a flight from Odesa to Donetsk made an emergency landing at Donetsk Sergey Prokofiev International Airport at 1824 on February 13. During the landing the aircraft hit a weather tower, the right wing grazed the ground, and it overturned and its fuselage broke.

A total of 52 people were on board the aircraft, including eight crewmembers. Five people were killed.

It was a charter flight, and all the passengers were football fans heading for Donetsk to watch Shakhtar Donetsk play Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League round of 16.

A criminal case has been opened into the crash on charges of violating the air safety rules that resulted in the death of people. Ukraine's Donetsk Region Prosecutor's Officer is in charge of the inquiry.

The State Aviation Service has suspended the work of South Airlines.

The An-24 aircraft was produced in 1973.

South Airlines was established in 1999. Its fleet consists of four types of aircraft: Yak-42D, Saab 340B, Embraer-500 and An-24RV aircraft.