More than 170 gold bars fell from the sky after a plane's hatch flew open - with police unsure if it was accidental or criminal. Tons of gold have fallen out of the sky in Russia after a cargo plane malfunctioned in mid-air.

Does gold fall to Earth?

Scientists have shown that the Earth's surface became enriched with precious metals by impacting meteorites. The Earth's crust and mantle has considerably more gold than expected from favoured models of planetary formation.

When did gold fall from the sky?

A massive meteor bombardment 3.9 billion years ago provided most of the gold and other precious metals found near the Earth's surface today, according to a new study.