Soviet-era Antonov plane crashes in Russia, several feared dead

A Soviet-era Antonov An-24 passenger aircraft carrying around 50 people crashed in Russia’s far eastern Amur region on Thursday, with initial reports indicating no survivors, according to Russian emergency services officials cited by Reuters.The aircraft, operated by Siberian airline Angara, was flying from Blagoveshchensk to the remote town of Tynda when it vanished from radar while approaching its destination. A helicopter later spotted the burning wreckage in a densely forested area about 15 kilometres from Tynda, Reuters reported.
“During the search operation, a Mi-8 helicopter belonging to Rossaviatsiya discovered the fuselage of the aircraft, which was on fire,” emergency services official Yuliya Petina said on Telegram.
Preliminary figures from Amur region governor Vasily Orlov put the number of people on board at 49 — 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members. The Emergencies Ministry, however, is said to have given a slightly lower estimate of around 40 people.

An-24 crash site in Russia’s Far East seen from helicopter — social media footage

49 on board, including 5 children and 6 crew — no survivors reported

Malfunction or human error considered as possible causes pic.twitter.com/rU5VWLOnXH

— RT (@RT_com) July 24, 2025

While officials initially feared all aboard had been killed, local emergency services told state news agency RIA Novosti that a ground search was ongoing and that survivors could still be found, according to The Guardian.

The plane, identified by its tail number as having been built in 1976, reportedly came down in rugged terrain. Video shared on social media — unverified but widely circulated — appeared to show the fuselage ablaze amid thick forest.

Debris was found on a mountainside roughly 15 kilometres from Tynda, emergency services officials told Interfax, as cited by Reuters. Rescue teams were said to be navigating difficult terrain to reach the crash site.

The An-24, a twin turboprop first designed in the late 1950s by the Antonov Design Bureau, is known for its durability and ability to operate from unpaved runways. While once common across the Soviet Union and Central Asia, the aircraft is now largely considered outdated.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the crash. Russia’s transport investigative committee said both mechanical failure and human error were being considered as possible causes, The Guardian reported.

The crash is Russia’s first fatal commercial aviation incident since July 2021, when an An-26 went down near Palana in the country’s far east, killing all 28 on board.