MOSCOW, November 11 (RIA Novosti) - Engine failure could have caused Friday's crash of a Russian military Tu-142 plane in the Tatar Strait, the chief of the Russian General Staff said on Wednesday.

"The commission will complete the probe and find out," Gen. Nikolai Makarov said.

The exact cause of the crash could be established only after black boxes from the plane are found.

Eleven people were on board the Pacific Fleet plane that went down during a combat training flight on Friday some 20 kilometers (12 miles) off the Tatar Strait, which separates mainland Russia from the Far East island of Sakhalin.

The remains of the plane were located on Saturday morning by several ships and planes at a depth of about 44 meters (144 feet). Fragments of human bodies have also been discovered. They will undergo a forensic medical examination.