In a devastating incident, an Angara Airlines Antonov An-24 crashed into a dense forest near Tynda, Russia, resulting in the tragic loss of all 48 people aboard. The plane, which took off from Blagoveshchensk close to the Chinese border, lost radar contact as it approached its destination. The wreckage was located approximately 16 kilometers from Tynda airport. Amidst the tragedy, the governor of Amur region, Vasily Orlov, announced a three-day mourning period, acknowledging that five children were among the victims.
Rescue efforts were hampered by the remote, swampy terrain, delaying access to the crash site by about an hour. Initial investigations are focusing on the possibility of pilot error due to adverse weather conditions or a technical malfunction. Reports indicate that the An-24 had previously attempted to land before radar contact was lost, amid low clouds at the time of the accident.
Angara Airlines, based in the Irkutsk region, confirmed that the crew was local while many passengers were employees of Russian Railways. Notably, the Antonov An-24 aircraft, nearly 50 years old, had recently passed a technical inspection, despite having a history of incidents including a significant runway overrunning in 2018 and previous fatal crashes involving this model, raising concerns about its safety record and the conditions under which it was operating.
Rescue efforts were hampered by the remote, swampy terrain, delaying access to the crash site by about an hour. Initial investigations are focusing on the possibility of pilot error due to adverse weather conditions or a technical malfunction. Reports indicate that the An-24 had previously attempted to land before radar contact was lost, amid low clouds at the time of the accident.
Angara Airlines, based in the Irkutsk region, confirmed that the crew was local while many passengers were employees of Russian Railways. Notably, the Antonov An-24 aircraft, nearly 50 years old, had recently passed a technical inspection, despite having a history of incidents including a significant runway overrunning in 2018 and previous fatal crashes involving this model, raising concerns about its safety record and the conditions under which it was operating.
