A tragic aviation accident in Russia’s Far East has claimed the lives of all 49 people onboard a passenger aircraft operated by Siberia-based Angara Airlines. The Soviet-era An-24 aircraft was flying from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda when it crashed during its second attempt to land.
According to Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry, the wreckage was found on a forested hillside 15 kilometers south of Tynda. An Mi-8 helicopter operated by Rosaviatsiya spotted the burning fuselage. Visuals from the crash site showed heavy smoke rising from scattered debris in the dense terrain.
There were 43 passengers on board, including five children, along with six crew members. The aircraft lost contact with air traffic control shortly after initiating a second approach in poor weather conditions. Russian news agency TASS reported that a crew error in low visibility is believed to have caused the crash.
The transport prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into flight safety violations leading to multiple deaths. This is a standard procedure in fatal air crashes across Russia.
The crash marks the third major aviation tragedy in the past two months. On June 12, an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 passengers and 19 people on the ground. Earlier this week, a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school complex in Dhaka’s Uttara region, resulting in 31 deaths and numerous injuries.
The Russian crash has raised renewed concerns over aviation safety, particularly the continued operation of older aircraft in challenging weather and terrain. Authorities are expected to review regional flight safety protocols following this latest disaster.
