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More than three tons of gold scattered over a runway in Yakutsk after cargo shift on takeoff.
The streets are paved with gold in Russia, or at least one airport runway is after an embarrassing failure for a transport plane.
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The hatch doors of a cargo plane flew open after a refuelling stop in the far eastern city of Yakutsk, scattering more than three tons of the precious metal on the tarmac, along with other valuables.
On immediate inspection, a damaged door handle appeared to be the cause, but an investigation has been opened.
Airport officials recovered 172 gold ingots, some of which had disappeared under the snow.
No-one was hurt in the incident, which was triggered by cargo movement as the plane gained height.
The gold was from the Kupol gold mine in the remote Chukotka region, operated by the Canadian-based Kinross Gold.