Passenger plane with 49 people onboard crashes in Russia’s

Report by “Safarti Tarjuman” International News Desk

MOSCOW – A passenger aircraft operated by Angara Airlines has crashed in Russia’s remote Far Eastern Amur region, killing all 49 people onboard, according to local officials and emergency services. The An-24 turboprop went down near Tynda, a mountainous area close to the border with China.

The twin-engine aircraft vanished from radar shortly before its scheduled landing at Tynda Airport on Thursday morning. It had departed from Irkutsk, with 43 passengers—including five children—and six crew members onboard.

Emergency officials reported that burning wreckage was discovered approximately 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the airport, scattered across a forested mountainside. Thick smoke was seen billowing above the treetops in video footage released by Russian media.

Despite hopes for survivors, aerial reconnaissance found no signs of life, although rescue teams continue to comb the area on foot.

The aircraft involved was an Antonov An-24, a rugged Soviet-era turboprop first introduced in the 1950s. The crashed plane was manufactured in 1976, making it nearly five decades old. Known for its ability to operate from unpaved runways in extreme conditions, the An-24 remains in limited use across remote Russian regions.

Russia’s Transport Investigative Committee has launched a probe into the crash, citing potential mechanical malfunction or pilot error as preliminary causes. The Amur regional governor, Vasily Orlov, confirmed that “all necessary emergency forces” have been mobilized for search and recovery operations.

The Tynda crash is Russia’s first fatal commercial aviation disaster since 2021, when an An-26 crashed near Palana, killing all 28 aboard.

Russia’s aviation sector has faced mounting difficulties since Western sanctions were imposed following the invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions have restricted access to Boeing and Airbus spare parts, seized leased aircraft, and severely disrupted aircraft maintenance capabilities.

With many Western-made planes grounded, airlines like Angara have been forced to rely on aging Soviet-era aircraft, many of which are beyond their intended operational lifespan.

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