A devastating plane crash occurred in Russia’s far east, resulting in the deaths of all 48 passengers and crew members on board. The Antonov An-24 aircraft, operated by Siberia-based Angara Airlines, was traveling from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda, a remote town in the Amur region bordering China, when it lost contact with air traffic control and disappeared from radar screens.
The plane’s wreckage was found in flames by Russian rescuers, who located the site 15 kilometers south of Tynda. According to the Emergencies Ministry, an Mi-8 helicopter operated by Rosaviatsiya, Russia’s civil aviation authority, spotted the burning fuselage of the aircraft. “An Mi-8 helicopter operated by Rosaviatsiya has spotted the burning fuselage of the aircraft,” the ministry said on Telegram.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, with possible pilot error during landing in poor visibility being considered as a potential reason. The transport prosecutor’s office in the Far East stated that the plane was attempting to land for a second time when it lost contact with air traffic control and disappeared from radars.
The Antonov An-24 is a Soviet-era plane that has been in operation since 1959. Despite being considered reliable, the aircraft has been involved in several incidents in the past. According to 1001 Crash, Antonov aircraft have seen over 60 mishaps since 2000. The plane that crashed had recently passed a technical inspection, but the civil aviation authority noted that it had been involved in four incidents since 2018.
One Chinese national was among the passengers on board, according to China’s state-run news agency Xinhua. The plane initially departed from Khabarovsk before making its way to Blagoveshchensk on the Russian-Chinese border and onwards to Tynda.
This tragic incident highlights the dangers of flying in Russia’s vast and isolated regions, where weather conditions are frequently extreme. While Russian aviation safety standards have improved in recent years, accidents involving ageing planes in far-flung regions are not uncommon. The Russian government has formed a commission to deal with the aftermath of the crash and investigate its cause.