No casualties were recorded after a Soviet-era Antonov-24 plane with 30 passengers and four crew members landed on a frozen river near an airfield in Russia's far east. The Polar Airlines An-24 landed safely on the Kolyma River near Zyryanka in the Yakutia region.
The flight took off early Thursday from Yakutsk, the capital of the Sakha republic in Russia's Far East. It was flying to Zyryanka, 1,100 kilometers (685 miles) to the north-east, and then to Srednekolymsk before returning to Yakutsk.
Pilot Error Blamed For Wrong Landing
"According to preliminary information, the cause of the aviation incident was an error by the crew in piloting the aircraft," a spokesperson for the Eastern Siberian transport prosecutor said in a statement.
A passenger's video showed the plane almost in the center of the frozen River Kolyma. At this time of year, temperatures in Zyryanka can reach -40 degrees Celsius.
Prosecutors said the plane landed on a sandbank in the river. A snow track demonstrated how long it had taken to come to a halt.
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Launched Investigation
There have been numerous incidents in recent months of Russian domestic passenger flights making emergency landings due to mechanical faults caused by a scarcity of spare parts. However, the cause of Thursday's incident is yet unknown.
The Russian authorities have initiated an investigation into why the Antonov-24 jet diverted from the runway. According to local news agencies, the Investigative Committee is looking into alleged infractions of road safety standards and the operation of air transportation.
According to the Baza Telegram channel, which has connections to Russia's intelligence agencies, the pilots did not see the runway, missed it, and landed on the frozen river. Polar Airlines committed to fully cooperate with the investigation and stressed that the airline's top goal is flight safety.
In May 2023, the airline was accused of operating planes with improper maintenance. According to multiple unnamed sources, the airline flew for over 1,500 hours. Local officials had initiated an investigation since the aircraft provides critical connectivity to isolated communities and areas throughout Siberia.
It is not the first occasion in recent months that a Russian plane has landed in an unusual spot. In September, a Ural Airlines Airbus 320 flying from the Black Sea resort of Sochi to the city of Omsk in southwestern Siberia made an emergency landing at Novosibirsk's airport but was forced to land in the open countryside.
The landing took place "on a site selected from the air" in the village of Kamenka, next to a forest in the Novosibirsk region, according to Russia's aviation agency, Rosaviatsia.
None of the 159 people on board were hurt, and the passengers were "being accommodated in the nearest community." Ural Airlines called the landing area an "improvised airport."
Following this incident, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for an increase in the country's aviation. He said that the Russian government has until March 1, 2024, to expand and upgrade aviation in Russia's far east.
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