Accidental Landing: Russian Passenger Plane Touches Down on Frozen River
A passenger plane in Russia mistakenly lands on a frozen river due to pilot error, causing a Soviet-era Antonov-24 aircraft with 30 passengers to divert from the intended airport
After pilot error, a Soviet-era Antonov-24 aircraft with 30 passengers safely landed on a frozen river near an airport in Russia's far east, according to transport prosecutors. The Polar Airlines An-24 touched down on the Kolyma river near Zyryanka in the Yakutia region.
Preliminary reports suggest that the aviation incident was caused by a crew error in operating the aircraft, stated a spokesperson for the Eastern Siberian transport prosecutor. Images of the aircraft on a frozen river and passengers disembarking were released by prosecutors and published by Izvestia newspaper.
"The An-24 aircraft landed outside of the runway of the Zyryanka airport," Polar Airlines said in a short statement.
"There were no casualties," it said.
