Posted on 07/24/2025 6:46:17 AM PDT by Red Badger
Earlier today, an Antonov An-24 twin turboprop regional airliner disappeared in southeastern Russia. It has since been found, with local rescue forces locating wreckage from the crashed plane just 10 miles from its intended destination. It is understood at this moment in time that there were just under 50 people onboard the aircraft, with, sadly, none appearing to have survived the crash in the forest.
The carrier operating the flight was Angara Airlines, and, unfortunately, this isn't the first time that one of its Antonov An-24 planes has made the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The aircraft involved in today's crash is reported to be almost half a century old, indicating the dire situation concerning Russian domestic aviation that forces operators to deploy aging aircraft as sanctions prevent new deliveries.
An Antonov An-24 Has Crashed In Southeastern Russia
According to the Aviation Herald, the flight in question was numbered as HZ2311, and had 49 people onboard, with this figure comprising 43 passengers and six members of crew. It is worth noting that, while this total is corroborated by other sources, such as the Aviation Safety Network, some, like the BBC, have reported a figure of 48 occupants. In any case, early reports suggest there are no survivors.
Flight HZ2311 is a domestic hop operated on behalf of Aurora Airlines that originates at Blagoveshchensk Airport (BQS), with its destination being Tynda Sigikta Airport (TYD). This morning, the flight is said to have performed a go-around before failing to make any further contact and going missing. Its wreckage was found 10 miles (16 km) from Tynda, with ABC quoting an emergency services official as saying that:
"During the search operation, a Mi-8 helicopter belonging to Rosaviatsiya [Russia's federal air transport agency] discovered the fuselage of the aircraft, which was on fire. Rescuers continue to make their way to the scene of the accident."
The Aircraft Came Down In A Dense Forest Angara Airlines Antonov An-24RV InflightPhoto: Gleb Osokin | Wikimedia Commons Aerial footage that has emerged of the crash site shows smoke billowing from an area of dense forest. While, as the BBC quotes Amur's regional governor, Vasily Orlov, as having said, "all necessary resources" have been deployed in the rescue and recovery efforts, the remote woodland location could make access somewhat difficult. Five children are said to have been among those on board the flight.
The crash site is located to the southwest of Tynda Airport, with the BBC reporting that rescuers expect their journey to reach the hillside location to take around an hour. Early investigations into the incident, the publication notes, are said to be focusing on the potential of either a technical malfunction or pilot error in poor weather conditions, according to emergency officials involved in the operation.
With that being said, the weather conditions at the time of the accident appear to have been far from adverse. Indeed, the Aviation Herald reports that visibility was at 9,999 meters or better, with light rain falling. However, there was some low cloud in the area, with scattered cloud at an altitude of 210 meters (around 700 feet) and broken cloud at a higher altitude of 600 meters (around 2,000 feet) above sea level.
The Plane Involved Was Almost 50 Years Old Antonov An-24RV Angara AirlinesPhoto: Gleb Osokin | Wikimedia Commons Reporting by the Aviation Safety Network confirms that the registration of the Antonov An-24RV that crashed near Tynda this morning was RA-47315. This twin-turboprop regional airliner was 49 years old, having been built in 1976.
A key reason why Russian domestic and regional airlines are forced to operate such old planes is the fact that Western sanctions imposed on the country prevent the delivery of spare parts (or new planes entirely) for US and European aircraft. With this in mind, ABC notes, airlines in Siberia asked the Russian government in 2023 to extend the service lives of these turboprops, which date back to the Soviet era.
Angara Airlines' Antonov An-24 planes have a checkered safety record at the best of times, with the BBC reporting that RA-47315 has been involved in four incidents since 2018. Prior to that, the Aviation Safety Network notes that it suffered an in-flight depressurization in 2017 during a ferry flight after life extension work. Fatal accidents involving other Angara An-24s also occurred in 2011 and in 2019.
Aviation Ping....😪....................
Sad.
Nice plane.
50+ years on the chassis..................
They’re built like a brick you know what
Our B-52’s are older.
Very strong air-frame.
But they weren’t made by drunk Russians...................
Were any of Putin’s critics onboard?
Russian planes are not made by drunk Russians. Too much media propaganda on Russian manufacturing.
50 years of Russian aircraft maintenance. Control surface mechanical failure is my first thoughts. A bellcrank or cable let go maybe. If they were 10 miles out from destination then they were basically on final approach, descending. Who knows....
I didn’t comment about the location. Perhaps you intended to send your comment to another Freeper?
pttt
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
