Tragic Crash: Soviet-Era Plane Goes Down in Russia’s Far East, 50 Feared Dead
Emergency crews are currently navigating the rugged terrain to reach the crash site, which lies about 15 kilometers (roughly 10 miles) from Tynda.
Image of the wreckage after plane crash . Photo: WION.
By Robert Assad
A Soviet-era Antonov An-24 passenger aircraft, carrying approximately 50 individuals, tragically crashed in Russia’s remote Far East region on Thursday.
Preliminary reports from Russian emergency authorities indicate there were no survivors.
The aircraft, operated by Siberian airline Angara and originally built in 1976, was en route from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda, a small town in the Amur region near the Chinese border.
The flight lost communication and vanished from radar shortly before reaching its destination.A Mi-8 helicopter dispatched by Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rossaviatsiya) later located the burning wreckage in a heavily forested area.
Emergency crews are currently navigating the rugged terrain to reach the crash site, which lies about 15 kilometers (roughly 10 miles) from Tynda.
Vasily Orlov, governor of the Amur region, stated that early data suggested 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members were aboard.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations, however, estimated the total number of people on board to be closer to 40.Footage shared online, allegedly filmed from a rescue helicopter, shows the smoldering remains of the plane in dense woodland.
The video has not been officially verified, but it underscores the isolated nature of the crash site, making rescue and recovery efforts more challenging.
Emergency services official Yuliya Petina confirmed on Telegram that the fuselage was found ablaze. “Rescuers are continuing to make their way to the crash location,” she wrote, emphasizing the urgency of the mission despite difficult conditions.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the disaster. Mechanical failure, pilot error, and severe weather are likely to be among the factors examined, especially given the aircraft’s age of nearly 50 years.
This tragic incident adds to the ongoing safety concerns surrounding older Soviet-designed aircraft still in service, particularly in remote areas of Russia where transportation alternatives are limited.
In other news, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has warned that the company may face “a few rough quarters” ahead, citing reduced U.S. government incentives for electric vehicle manufacturers as a potential challenge.
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