Tragic plane crash in Russia’s far eastern Amur region has claimed the lives of all on board, with nearly 50 people feared dead.
The Soviet-era twin-propeller Antonov-24 operated by Angara Airlines, was headed to the town of Tynda from the city of Blagoveshchensk when it disappeared from radar at around 1:00 pm local time (0400 GMT), according to multiple local and international reports..
Initial estimates vary slightly, regional officials cite 43 passengers and six crew members, including five children, while federal authorities place the total at approximately 48 or 49 people aboard.
Rescue teams located the burning wreckage on a remote, forested mountain slope about 16 kilometres (10 miles) south of Tynda.
Rescuers in the helicopter saw no evidence of survivors, local rescuers said, as the Amur region’s civil defence agency said it was dispatching a ground team to the scene.
“At the moment, 25 people and five units of equipment have been dispatched, and four aircraft with crews are on standby,” it said.
The forest terrain has made getting to the site difficult, a rescuer told the state TASS news agency.
“The main search operations are being conducted from the air,” they said.
Preliminary findings suggest that pilot error during a second landing attempt amid poor visibility may have caused the crash. The An‑24, a nearly 50-year-old aircraft built in 1976, had been granted an airworthiness certificate extension until 2036 despite scrutiny over the aging fleet’s safety record.
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“In 2021, the aircraft’s airworthiness certificate was extended until 2036,” it reported, citing a source in aviation services.
Russia’s transport prosecutor and the Investigative Committee have opened a criminal probe into potential safety violations. They are conducting interrogations and inspections at Angara Airlines’ offices as part of the investigation. It did not make any immediate comment on what caused the crash.
Amur regional Governor Vasily Orlov declared three days of official mourning, describing the incident as a “terrible tragedy.” The local civil defense agency said that four rescue aircraft, 25 personnel, and five units of equipment have been mobilised to assist in recovery operations.
These incidents have again raised concerns about aviation safety in Russia’s far-flung regions, especially amid continued dependency on aging Soviet-era aircraft and challenges posed by Western-imposed sanctions that have constrained access to modern parts, maintenance, and pilot training infrastructure.
President Vladimir Putin and federal aviation officials have been briefed on the disaster, and a government investigation is now underway. Authorities are also working to support the victims’ families and determine reparations where applicable.