A Soviet-era passenger plane has crashed in Russia’s far east while preparing to land, killing all 48 people on board. The Angara Airlines flight, an Antonov An-24, lost contact with air traffic controllers as it approached Tynda, a remote town in the Amur region bordering China.
Emergency services located the burning wreckage about 15 kilometres from Tynda airport on a mountainside. The plane, built in 1976, had departed from the city of Blagoveshchensk. There were 42 passengers, including five children, and six crew members.
More than 100 rescuers used heavy machinery to cut a path to the crash site, which had no road access. Investigators have opened a criminal case into possible violations of air traffic and transport rules leading to death through negligence. Malfunction and human error are being considered as causes.
The crash is Russia’s first fatal passenger aviation incident since July 2021. Russia’s aviation industry has faced difficulties since Western sanctions were imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, with access to spare parts cut off and the retirement of many foreign jets. Regional airlines have appealed to extend the service life of ageing Soviet-era aircraft like the An-24.
