Deadly Crash in Russia: Antonov An-24 Goes Down Near Tynda

Video from the channel Captain Steeeve about Antonov An-24, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 10:34. Language: English. Video type: News.

Pilot and aviation YouTuber Captain Steeeve comments on the first reports of the crash of an Angara Airlines Antonov An-24 in Russia's Far East. It was carrying around 50 people, including five children. During its second approach to Tynda, in the Amur region, amid low cloud and rain, it disappeared from radar about 10 miles from the runway. It came down in an area of forest so remote that rescue teams had to cut paths through it to reach the site.

The An-24, nicknamed the "flying tractor," is a rugged twin-turboprop with large wheels for unpaved runways and good performance in extreme cold; the author compares it to the Dash 8. The crashed aircraft entered service in the mid-1970s and had previously belonged to Aeroflot. According to Reuters, Angara is based in Irkutsk, operates ten An-24s built between 1972 and 1976, and was one of two Siberian airlines that had asked to extend the service life of these aircraft.

Sanctions over the war in Ukraine have driven up maintenance costs and made spare parts harder to obtain. In addition, series production of the Ladoga, the intended replacement, would not begin before 2027. The author stresses that the cause of the accident is unknown and avoids speculating.