A tragic plane crash occurred in Russia's far eastern Amur region on Thursday, July 24. A passenger aircraft carrying nearly 50 people went down just 16 kilometers from its destination, Tynda.
Flight Disappeared Before Landing
The aircraft, an Antonov An-24, belonged to Angara Airlines. It had taken off from the city of Blagoveshchensk and was flying to the remote town of Tynda, near the Chinese border. But just before landing, the plane disappeared from radar.
Later, a helicopter spotted the burning wreckage of the plane in a forested area. Reports say the aircraft carried 42 passengers and six crew members. All people on board are feared dead.
49 Dead After Russian An‑24 Plane Crash in Far East
— 🇺🇦 Sahaidachnyi - ukrainian William Wallace (@zakarpatfan) July 24, 2025
▪️ Aircraft carrying 43 passengers (incl. 5 children) + 6 crew crashed near Tynda, Amur region, close to China border
▪️ All 49 confirmed dead, wreckage found burning in forest ~15 km from airport pic.twitter.com/uqfjz4k7A4
Government Confirms Wreckage
The Russian emergencies ministry confirmed, “Fifteen kilometres from Tynda, the wreckage of an An-24 was found on a slope. The plane was destroyed,” according to Interfax news agency.
Videos from the site showed smoke rising from thick forest where the crash occurred.
Regional governor Vasily Orlov stated that 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members were on board. He added, “All necessary forces and means have been deployed to search for the plane.”
Investigation Begins
The Russian government has formed a commission to manage the aftermath of the disaster. Authorities have also launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Officials are considering poor weather or pilot error during landing as possible reasons. Technical failure is also not ruled out.
Aircraft Was Over 45 Years Old
The crashed Antonov An-24 was built in 1976, during the Soviet era. It was first operated by the former state airline Aeroflot. Now, a private Siberian airline, Angara, owns and operates it.
Angara Airlines is based in Irkutsk and runs flights across Siberia and Russia's far east. The airline has ten An-24 aircraft, all built between 1972 and 1976, according to RussianPlanes data.
The An-24 is a twin-engine, propeller-driven aircraft designed for short and medium distances. It first flew in 1959 and has a cruise speed of 420 km/h with a range of 990 km.
Are An-24 Planes Safe?
In Russia, the An-24 is known as a reliable "flying tractor" due to its ability to handle Siberia’s harsh weather. These planes can fly in freezing temperatures and land on unpaved surfaces.
However, safety concerns have grown. According to 1001 Crash, over 60 Antonov aircraft accidents have been reported since 2000. In 2021 alone, there were three crashes—two in Russia and one in Sudan.
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In 2019, an An-24RV ran off the runway in Nizhneangarsk, Russia, killing two crew members.
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In 2011, another Angara An-24 crashed into the Ob River, killing seven passengers.
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In 2022, an Antonov An-12 cargo plane crashed in northern Greece, killing eight people.
Officials said the crashed Angara aircraft had recently passed a technical check. But BBC reported that the same aircraft had been involved in four incidents since 2018.
Sanctions Make Maintenance Harder
Experts say it has become harder and costlier to maintain old Antonov planes. Western sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have restricted access to parts and investment.
Russia’s commercial fleet has over 1,000 passenger planes, and many of them are Antonovs. The country had plans to retire these aging aircraft. However, smaller regional airlines continue to use them due to a lack of replacements.