A passenger aircraft carrying 49 people has crashed in a remote area of Russia’s far eastern Amur region, with no immediate signs of survivors, local authorities confirmed on Thursday, July 24, 2025.
The aircraft, an Antonov-24 twin-propeller plane operated by Angara Airlines , was en route from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda when it lost contact with air traffic control at around 1:00 pm local time (0400 GMT).
Rescue teams dispatched to the area reported that a helicopter crew located the wreckage of the burning fuselage on a forested mountain slope, approximately 16 kilometres (10 miles) from Tynda.
Videos shared by Russian investigators showed smoke rising from the crash site deep in the forest.
According to the Amur region’s civil defence agency, a ground team of 25 rescuers with five pieces of equipment has been deployed to the area, while four additional aircraft with crews remain on standby.
“The main search operations are being conducted from the air due to the rugged forest terrain,” a rescuer told the state-run TASS news agency.
So far, there has been no official statement from Angara Airlines, a regional carrier based in Irkutsk.
Amur region Governor Vassily Orlov confirmed the plane was carrying 43 passengers and six crew members, including five children.
However, reports from TASS, citing emergency officials, indicated a slightly different figure of 40 passengers and six crew.
Russia’s Far Eastern Transport Prosecutor’s Office said the crash occurred as the aircraft attempted a second landing at Tynda airport.
“While approaching Tynda Airport, the aircraft went around for a second landing, after which contact was lost,” the office stated.
“The circumstances are being investigated.”
No cause has yet been identified for the crash. Investigators are looking into various possibilities.
TASS reported that the crashed Antonov-24 was nearly five decades old but had a valid airworthiness certificate extended until 2036. AFP could not independently verify the report.
The Antonov-24, a Soviet-era aircraft that entered service in 1959, remains in use across remote parts of Russia.
While Russia has gradually been replacing its aging Soviet fleet with modern aircraft, older planes like the An-24 are still common in less accessible regions where aviation incidents remain frequent due to age, weather, and terrain challenges.
