Flight Recorder Retrieved Following Fatal An-24 Crash in Russias Far East

Rescue teams have retrieved the flight recorder from an Antonov An-24 passenger aircraft that crashed in Russia’s Far East, resulting in the deaths of all 48 individuals on board, officials reported on Friday.

The black box will be sent to Moscow for examination as part of the ongoing crash investigation, according to information shared on the Russian government’s official Telegram channel.

The Angara Airlines flight lost contact with ground control around 1 p.m. local time on Thursday, while it was several kilometers away from Tynda Airport, located in the Amur region. The flight had begun in Khabarovsk, made a stop in Blagoveshchensk, and was heading to Tynda.

Emergency officials stated that the aircraft did not send out a distress signal nor did it indicate any technical problems prior to its disappearance from radar. Rescue teams later found the charred wreckage roughly 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Tynda, a town with a population of fewer than 30,000.

A criminal investigation into the incident has been launched. The head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, has instructed regional transportation investigators to compile their findings as quickly as possible.

Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, announced it is examining Angara Airlines to assess whether the airline followed safety regulations. The results could influence the airline’s ability to continue operations.

Andrei Nikitin, Amur region’s Transportation Minister, stated that each family of the victims will receive compensation of 5 million rubles ($63,000) and added that efforts are underway to expedite these payments.

The An-24, a twin turboprop aircraft from the Soviet era, is over 50 years old, according to civil aviation officials quoted by the state-run TASS news agency. The aircraft was granted a renewed airworthiness certificate in 2021, allowing it to operate until 2036.