A Russian passenger aircraft carrying 49 people has crashed in the country’s remote far eastern region, with no survivors found, according to preliminary reports from local news agencies.
The Ministry of Civil Defence, Emergencies and Disaster Relief confirmed on Thursday that the An-24 aircraft, operated by Siberia-based airline Angara, disappeared from radar while approaching the town of Tynda in the Amur region near the Chinese border.
Emergency crews later discovered the burning fuselage of the aircraft, along with scattered debris in the surrounding area, the ministry said. The wreckage was spotted by a Mi-8 helicopter operated by Rosaviatsiya, Russia’s civil aviation authority.
According to the TASS news agency, initial investigations suggest that pilot error during landing in poor visibility may have contributed to the crash.
Amur region Governor Vasily Orlov stated that, based on early information, the flight was carrying 43 passengers—including five children—and six crew members. However, the Emergencies Ministry has provided a slightly lower estimate, suggesting around 40 people were on board.
Flying across Russia’s vast and often harsh terrain—particularly in remote regions such as the Arctic and far east—can be hazardous due to extreme weather conditions. Although aviation safety in Russia has improved in recent years, crashes involving older aircraft in remote areas are still reported occasionally.
In 2021, a similar Antonov An-26 transport plane crashed in the far east, resulting in six fatalities. Another An-26 turboprop aircraft crashed in Kamchatka that same year, killing all 28 people on board.
Russia also continues to experience non-fatal aviation incidents, with technical malfunctions often leading to emergency landings and flight diversions.
