Prime Highlights
- Soviet-era Angara Airlines-owned Antonov An‑24 planes crashed in Russia near Tynda, killing all on board, 48 people in total.
- The aircraft disappeared from radar while making a second landing after encountering bad weather.
Key Facts
- The An‑24 aircraft was almost 50 years old, its airworthiness until 2036 factoring in past incidents.
- The wreckage was found 15 kilometers from Tynda Airport in hilly and remote terrain.
Key Background
A tragic air tragedy occurred in Russia’s east when an Angara Airlines Soviet-era Antonov An‑24 plane crashed attempting to land at the Tynda Airport. The plane had departed from Blagoveshchensk and had disappeared from radar on its second attempted landing amidst fog conditions. All 48 people on board the plane—42 passengers, five children, and six stewards—were confirmed killed.
1976‑produced An‑24 planes also enjoyed a long service life and was one of numerous identical planes flying at Angara Airlines. Although old, with a number of small incidents after 2018, the plane remained classified as airworthy until 2036 following recent servicing. Russian regional airlines have had to make old fleets fly due to restricted access to new aircraft and spares, largely because of international sanctions.
Rescue workers located the burning wreckage some 15 kilometers from the airport, in dense wooded terrain. The countryside and the terrain made it practically impossible to conduct the rescue mission. Over 100 rescue personnel were sent to the site of the crash, and heavy equipment was utilized to cut a path to the accident site.
Initial investigations suggest pilot error in bad weather may have caused the accident significantly. The authorities have launched a criminal investigation into potential violations of air safety law. It is Russia’s first serious passenger plane crash since 2021 and has fueled fears over the continued use of Soviet-era planes in Russia.
The crash is likely to have an impact on Russia’s air transport policy in aviation, where the long-awaited replacement aircraft, Ladoga, is currently still being manufactured in small numbers and unlikely to be fully operational until 2027. The crash has also caused other nations still operating the An‑24 to express broad concerns regarding air safety and fleet modernization.
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