Russian plane crash: 'Crew error' might be reason of crash, says report

A Russian plane carrying 50 people crashed and everyone aboard was feared dead, including the pilot, in the Far Eastern region near the border with China. The last time the aircraft was in contact with the air traffic controller was on Thursday (July 24), and hours after being missing, it was found crashed, as reported by the news agency Reuters. Now, a preliminary analysis suggested that there might be a pilot error during landing in poor visibility that may have caused the crash in the town of Tynda in the Amur region, Russian news agency TASS reported. "As a potential scenario, crew error is being considered, with a hillside collision while landing in poor visibility," a source in the emergency services told TASS.

The local emergencies ministry said the Antonov An-24 aircraft, operated by the Siberia-based Angara airline, vanished from radar while attempting a second landing after an initial approach to Tynda airport was unsuccessful. The crashed aircraft was around 50 years old and was built in 1976.

Meanwhile, a purported video of the crash circulated online that showed the aircraft wreckage in a densely forested area. The Regional governor Vasily Orlov quoted the preliminary report and said that there were 43 passengers on board, including five children, along with six crew members. "All necessary forces and resources have been deployed to search for the plane," he wrote on the social media platform Telegram. Meanwhile, the authorities have announced an investigation into the crash.

How the crash unfolded

News agency Reuters reported on Thursday that the burning wreckage of the plane was found by a rescue helicopter on a mountainside about 16 kilometres from Tynda, officials said. Local rescuers stated that the helicopter saw no evidence of survivors. According to Russian media reports, preliminary data suggested there were 43 passengers, including five children, along with six crew members on board.

“An Mi-8 helicopter operated by Rosaviatsiya (Russia's civil aviation authority) has spotted the burning fuselage of the aircraft,” Russia's emergencies ministry said, as quoted by Reuters.