A Russian Antonov An-24 passenger plane carrying 48 people crashed in the country’s far east on Thursday, according to preliminary reports.
Estimates of how many people were on the flight vary, ranging from 46 to 49. Authorities say the wreckage of the Antonov An-24 was found on a mountainside, and rescue workers are reportedly approaching the site on foot due to difficult terrain. Here’s what we know so far about the crash.
Passenger plan
A passenger plane operated by Angara Airlines crashed in Russia’s Amur region on July 24. The wreckage of the Antonov An-24 was found near the town of Tynda, according to TASS and RIA Novosti, which cited the Amur Center for Civil Defense and Fire Safety. Officials said the aircraft was found on a mountainside about 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Tynda, and that preliminary inspections were underway.
A source in the emergency services told Interfax that the plane had been destroyed. Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry reported that a Mi-8 helicopter from the Federal Air Transport Agency had spotted the aircraft’s burning fuselage. According to the Telegram channel Shot, the terrain made landing impossible, and rescue workers are now approaching the site on foot.
TASS and RIA Novosti, citing emergency officials, said everyone on board was killed. Reports vary on how many people were on board, with estimates ranging from 46 to 49. Interfax earlier reported that 46 people were believed to have been on the flight — 40 passengers and six crew members. RIA Novosti, citing law enforcement, put the passenger count at 42. Amur region Governor Vasily Orlov said that, according to preliminary data, the flight carried 43 passengers — including five children — along with six crew members. Shot reported a total of 48 people: 42 passengers and six crew.
Possible cause
The aircraft was on approach to Tynda when it failed to land on the first attempt and began a second pass. Contact with the plane was lost shortly afterward. Emergency services told TASS that investigators are considering pilot error during landing in poor visibility as a possible cause.
The crashed aircraft was nearly 50 years old. According to the Interstate Aviation Committee, which has launched an investigation, the plane was an Antonov An-24RV with the tail number RA-47315. Public records show that the aircraft was manufactured on January 29, 1976.
Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case under Article 263, Part 3 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to violations of air traffic and aircraft operation safety rules resulting in the deaths of more than three people. The Eastern Interregional Investigative Directorate for Transport is handling the investigation. Meanwhile, the Amur branch of the Emergency Situations Ministry has set up a hotline for relatives of those on board.
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