Another Tragedy in the Skies: Russia’s Aviation Crisis Demands Accountability

 

Yet another devastating chapter has been added to Russia’s long, troubled history of aviation disasters. A passenger aircraft carrying around 50 people — including five children — has tragically crashed near the Amur region’s remote landscape, leaving no survivors. Operated by Angara Airlines, the Antonov-24 aircraft was nearing its destination at Tynda Airport when it reportedly attempted a go-around landing maneuver, only to plunge fatally into the terrain below.

The harsh reality? This wasn't an unpredictable freak accident. It was a tragedy years in the making.

Russia's regional aviation network, particularly in the vast and unforgiving far east territories, has long been underfunded, poorly regulated, and technologically outdated. The aircraft in question — a Soviet-era Antonov-24 — has been in service since the 1960s. Despite some modern retrofits, these planes have outlived their prime and are increasingly unsuitable for today’s complex flight environments. And yet, due to limited resources and poor infrastructure investment, many smaller regional airlines continue to rely on them.

Moreover, the go-around maneuver — typically a standard safety procedure — raises further questions about training standards, aircraft reliability, and real-time communication at these remote airports. If even routine flight adjustments lead to disaster, the system itself is broken.

It is simply unacceptable that in 2025, families still lose loved ones to entirely preventable aviation mishaps — especially within a country that has the technological and industrial capacity to do better. Russia must urgently modernize its regional fleets, enhance pilot training, and impose stricter regulatory oversight across all airlines, particularly those operating in isolated areas. These are not just technical problems — they are issues of life and death.

For the grieving families of the 50 lives lost, there can be no real comfort. But the least the aviation authorities can offer is meaningful reform. Without action, tragedies like this will only continue to darken the nation’s skies.