On Jul 24th, 2025, an Angara Airlines Antonov An-24RV, registration RA-47315, operating on behalf of Aurora Airlines as flight HZ-2311 from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda, Russia, crashed during approach, claiming the lives of all 42 passengers and 6 crew on board.
The aircraft was on final approach to runway 06 at Tynda when it executed a go-around. Shortly afterward, it failed to re-establish contact. At 12:58pm local time (03:58Z), communication ceased after the crew initiated what was reported as a second approach. Emergency services stated that no problems had been reported by the crew prior to the loss of contact.
Search aircraft later located the burning wreckage approximately 15 kilometers (8.3 nautical miles) from Tynda Airport, on the slope of a mountain amid dense forest. Video footage from the air showed plumes of smoke rising through the trees, with no visible signs of survivors. Rescue teams who reached the site confirmed that all 48 people on board had perished. Regional authorities clarified that although initial reports mentioned 43 passengers, one traveler had cancelled at the last minute, leaving 42 passengers and 6 crew.
Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) opened an investigation. By July 25th, 2025, the aircraft’s black boxes had been recovered and sent to Moscow for decoding. On July 26th, MAK reported that the flight data recorder’s magnetic tape had been destroyed by fire, though the cockpit voice recorder was preserved. Early findings indicated no system failures were mentioned before ground impact.
In the aftermath, regulatory scrutiny intensified. On July 30th, 2025, Russia’s civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia announced the revocation of Angara Airlines’ maintenance certificate following an unscheduled inspection conducted with Rostransnadzor. The inspection reportedly uncovered serious violations, including documentation completed without actual work being performed and improper use of required tools and equipment. Authorities stated the airline had not sufficiently demonstrated mitigation of safety risks, and future maintenance would require certified third-party organizations.
On Feb 9th, 2026, MAK released its final report, concluding the crash occurred in daylight under instrument meteorological conditions while the aircraft was maneuvering for an instrument approach. Investigators determined that a mismatch between the barometric pressure reference set on the altimeters (QNH) and the assigned altitude reference level (QFE) resulted in the aircraft flying approximately 600 meters lower than intended, ultimately leading to controlled flight into terrain, striking tree canopies before impacting the ground.
The report cited a combination of contributing factors, including the crew’s lack of preparedness for operations at airfields that had transitioned to QNH, errors in pressure-setting procedures, and the controller transmitting QNH in millimeters of mercury without a crew request. Investigators also noted the absence of instrumental altitude monitoring by air traffic control due to inoperative secondary radar equipment, as well as the crew’s disabling of the aircraft’s ground proximity warning system audible alert.
At the time of the approach, weather conditions at Tynda were reported as visibility 10 kilometers or more, light rain, scattered cloud at 210 meters, broken cloud at 600 meters, QNH 1002 hPa, light variable winds, and good braking action.
The tragedy underscores how altimetry mismanagement—particularly in mixed QNH/QFE environments—can have catastrophic consequences, especially when compounded by procedural lapses and degraded safety layers.
