A Soviet-era Antonov An-24 passenger plane operated by Angara Airlines crashed near Tynda in Russia’s Far East Amur region, killing all 49 passengers on board. The aircraft, en route from Khabarovsk with a stop in Blagoveshchensk, disappeared from radar around 1 p.m. local time while attempting a second landing approach in low visibility.
The flight was carrying 49 people, including 43 passengers—five of whom were children—and six crew members. The burning wreckage was discovered approximately 15 to 16 kilometers from Tynda Airport in a remote, forested mountainous area. No distress signals were sent, and aerial inspection confirmed no signs of survivors.
Early reports are that the crash could be attributed to crew error during landing in unfavorable weather condition. The plane possessed an existing airworthiness certificate that was valid to 2036 whereas before it had undergone previous technical problems, such as generator failure in 2022 and radio in March 2025.
One of the older aircraft in Russia is the Antonov An-24, constructed in 1976. Angara Airlines already has 10 of these planes, and maintenance is an issue because of the Western sanctions against the country preventing access to spare parts. An investigation regarding criminal matters is in progress to see whether the safety measures of the aircraft aviation regulations were used.
This is Russia’s first fatal passenger plane crash since 2021. Regional authorities confirmed that emergency services were deployed. Aviation analysts have raised concerns about outdated aircraft and limited resources in remote regions.
The crash adds to the growing aviation death toll in 2025, now exceeding 500 globally. The incident follows another deadly crash in Bangladesh involving an F-7 BGI jet and updates on the Air India Flight 171 crash.
