Passenger Plane Crash in Russia’s Far East Leaves 49 Feared Dead
A passenger plane operated by Angara Airlines has crashed in Russia’s remote Amur region, with all 49 people on board believed to have perished.
The tragedy unfolded as the Soviet-era An-24 aircraft disappeared from radar on Thursday while on approach to the small town of Tynda, near the Chinese border. Emergency services later located the wreckage on a forested mountainside roughly nine miles from Tynda airport.
Thick smoke was spotted rising above the dense woodland. The rescue effort, however, faced immediate setbacks. “According to preliminary information, all onboard were killed.
So far, the rescue helicopter has been unable to land at the crash site,” said an unnamed emergency services official, as quoted by state news agency Tass.
Governor Vasily Orlov confirmed early reports on Telegram: “All necessary forces and means have been deployed to search for the plane.” He stated the aircraft carried 43 passengers, including five children, along with six crew members.
The aircraft involved, a 1976-built An-24, was nearing five decades old. Despite its age, it remained in active use in parts of Russia due to the aircraft’s rugged design and its ability to land on unprepared airstrips. Yet, its age is now under renewed scrutiny.
Russia’s transport investigative committee is looking into both mechanical failure and human error as possible causes.
This crash marks the country’s first fatal passenger air disaster since July 2021, when an An-26 went down near Palana, claiming 28 lives.
The incident comes amid rising concern about aviation safety in the region, especially following the recent case where a Russian jet vanished in Amur with 46 people still missing, adding to the growing list of alarming developments in remote flight operations.
While major aviation catastrophes in Russia have become less frequent in recent years, the industry has faced mounting pressure. Western sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine have restricted access to essential aircraft parts and grounded dozens of foreign-made jets.
Smaller regional carriers like Angara Airlines, based in Siberia, have especially struggled. With the collapse of maintenance pipelines and limited access to replacements, extending the lifespan of ageing Soviet-era planes has become a necessity rather than a choice.
In 2023, several airlines even formally requested extensions for An-24 usage, citing a lack of alternatives.
Worryingly, this particular aircraft had a checkered history. Independent outlet Agentstvo reports at least two technical incidents in the past two years — a mid-flight generator failure in May 2022 and radio issues that forced a return to the gate earlier this year.
As recovery efforts continue in Russia’s rugged far east, the aviation world watches closely. The crash raises serious questions about the country’s reliance on decades-old aircraft and the long-term impact of international isolation on aviation safety.
