49 Feared Dead In Passenger Plane Crash In Russia’s Far East

This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.

A passenger plane carrying 49 people, including five children, crashed in Russia’s Far East on July 24, with all onboard believed to be dead.

The Antonov An-24 aircraft, operated by the regional airline Angara, was en route from Khabarovsk to Tynda via Blagoveshchensk in Russia’s Amur region when it lost contact with air traffic control near its final destination.

“Shortly before reaching Tynda, the plane failed to check in. Communication was lost,” emergency services told the Interfax news agency.

Hours later, an Emergencies Ministry helicopter located the aircraft’s burning fuselage on a remote mountain slope.

Rescue teams at first were unable to land due to the area’s rugged terrain, but eventually reached the site.

“A ground rescue team from the Russian Emergencies Ministry is surveying the scene of the incident and conducting search operations. As of now, there are no survivors,” the ministry said.

Initial reports suggest the crash may have been caused by pilot error during a second attempt to approach the airport in Tynda in poor visibility. The plane reportedly failed to land on its first attempt and was circling back when it lost radar contact.

Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a criminal case, citing violations of air traffic safety rules resulting in multiple fatalities. Investigators are conducting searches and interrogations at the Angara airline office as part of the probe.

The An-24, a Soviet-era twin turboprop still used on regional routes, has long faced scrutiny over safety concerns.

This latest incident is likely to intensify calls for stricter oversight of aging aircraft and regional air carriers operating in Russia’s vast and often treacherous territories.