A devastating air crash has rocked Russia’s Far East, as a passenger aircraft carrying close to 50 people went down in a forested mountain area near the town of Tynda in the Amur region. Authorities say there are no immediate signs of survivors.
The ill-fated plane, an Antonov-24 operated by Angara Airlines, was en route from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda when it disappeared from radar shortly after 1:00pm local time. A rescue helicopter later located the wreckage, engulfed, in flames about 16km from the destination airport.
Footage released by Russian investigators shows smoke rising from the crash site deep in the forest, making rescue efforts difficult. Search and rescue teams have been deployed, but the challenging terrain has slowed down ground operations.
According to Amur’s regional governor, Vassily Orlov, the aircraft had 43 passengers and six crew members on board, including five children. Conflicting reports from Russia’s state news agency, TASS, however, put the passenger number at 40.
Authorities say the aircraft was attempting a second landing at Tynda airport when it lost contact with air traffic control. The cause of the crash is not yet known.
Interestingly, the aircraft believed to be nearly 50 years old, had its airworthiness certificate renewed in 2021 and was reportedly cleared for service until 2036. The Antonov-24, a Soviet-era twin-propeller aircraft first introduced in 1959, is still used for regional flights in Russia, particularly in remote areas where newer aircraft are scarce.
Aviation safety experts say Russia has struggled with ageing fleets in remote regions, and incidents like this highlight ongoing concerns. Angara Airlines, based in Irkutsk, has yet to release a statement on the crash.
The Russian authorities are continuing search operations, with four more aircraft on standby and dozens of personnel working to reach the site on foot.
This tragic development draws attention to the global challenge of aviation safety in hard-to-reach regions and raises questions about the continued use of older aircraft still in commercial service.
