Antonov-24 crash in Russia leaves 50 dead — Here's what the burning wreckage revealed in the Amur forest

Time of India

4 days ago

A Soviet-era passenger aircraft operated by the Siberia-based airline Angara crashed on Thursday in Russia's eastern Amur region, killing about 50 people on board including 43 passengers and six crew members. Among the dead were five children. The crash occurred while the aircraft was approaching the remote town of Tynda, near the border with China, and disappeared from radar shortly before landing.
The plane, identified as an Antonov-24 (An-24) with a tail number indicating it was built in 1976, was en route from the city of Blagoveshchensk to Tynda when it lost contact with air traffic control. According to a report from the Russian state-owned news agency TASS, initial findings suggest that the crash occurred due to crew error during landing in conditions of poor visibility.
What officials have said so far
Vasily Orlov, the governor of the Amur region, confirmed on Telegram that the aircraft went missing after radar contact was lost. He stated that 'all necessary forces and means have been deployed' for the search operation. Russia's emergencies ministry later confirmed that a civil aviation helicopter had located the burning wreckage of the plane about 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Tynda.
The ministry noted that the aircraft's fuselage was on fire when found. The location and condition of the wreckage confirmed that there were no survivors. Visuals of the wreckage, shared by Russian state television RT, show thick smoke emerging from the debris, which appeared to be situated in a wooded area.
A 50-year-old aircraft operated by regional carrier
The aircraft involved in the crash was nearly five decades old and part of the Soviet-era Antonov-24 series, still in limited use across some regional carriers in Russia. The plane was operated by Angara Airlines, a Siberia-based regional airline. According to flight details, the plane had taken off from Blagoveshchensk and was close to completing its route when the crash occurred.
TASS reported that a helicopter pilot discovered the burning fuselage during the aerial search. The crash site was found on a hillside not far from the aircraft's intended destination.
An-24 crash site in Russia's Far East seen from helicopter — social media footage49 on board, including 5 children and 6 crew — no survivors reported Malfunction or human error considered as possible causes https://t.co/pLMgFY7kBG pic.twitter.com/rU5VWLOnXH
Preliminary cause points to landing miscalculation
Preliminary observations reported by TASS cite 'crew error during landing due to poor visibility' as the possible cause behind the crash. No technical failure has been officially cited yet, and investigations are ongoing.
Although the emergencies ministry initially mentioned a slightly lower passenger count, Governor Orlov confirmed the presence of 43 passengers and six crew members aboard the flight, matching the number later reported by multiple state-run outlets. Among the victims were five children.
Rescue teams & Russian Emergencies Ministry's aeromobile unit en route to crash site — Amur region EMERCOM head 'An-24 disappeared from radar and lost contact several kilometers from Tynda airport' pic.twitter.com/QVSRmFTGOY
The crash has raised questions about the continued use of aging aircraft on regional routes, especially in areas like Siberia and the Russian Far East where aviation is often the only reliable form of transportation due to difficult terrain and climate.