Russian Passenger Plane with 49 On Board Disappears Near China Border
A Russian An-24 passenger aircraft carrying 49 people, including five children, has vanished mid-flight near the city of Tynda in the Amur region, close to the Chinese border.
The plane, operated by Angara Airlines, was flying a routine Khabarovsk–Blagoveshchensk–Tynda route when it lost contact just minutes before landing.
Plane Drops Off Radar Near Airport
Reports from Interfax and SHOT reveal the Soviet-era An-24 disappeared from radar only a few kilometres from Tynda Airport. It failed to check in at the final waypoint, triggering an urgent search and rescue mission.
“All necessary forces and means have been deployed to search for the plane,” confirmed Vasily Orlov, governor of the Amur region.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations later confirmed wreckage was found nine miles from the airport, with parts of the fuselage still burning.
Search Hampered by Harsh Weather
Russian social media shows Mi-8 rescue helicopters scouring the rugged terrain amid low clouds and heavy rain. Poor visibility and bad weather could have played a role in the mysterious disappearance.
No survivors or bodies have been announced yet. The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency told Baza, “the search has not yet yielded results.”
Investigation Underway as Authorities Probe Crash
The Russian Investigative Committee for Transport has opened a criminal case, following standard protocols in serious aviation accidents.
About the An-24 Aircraft
The Antonov An-24 is a twin-turboprop plane first developed in the late 1950s by the Antonov Design Bureau in Kyiv, then part of the USSR. Though retired in many Western countries, it remains in limited regional service across Russia and parts of Asia.
