Russia: Wreckage of disappeared An-26 plane discovered in Khabarovsk region

The remains of what is believed to be the disappeared An-26 plane was discovered on September 23 near the Spartak Ski resort in Russia’s Khabarovsk Territory, reported ANI citing Sputnik. On September 22, the An-26 plane with six people on board disappeared from the radar 38 kilometres (23 miles) southwest of Khabarovsk. Reportedly, unfavourable weather is believed to be the main cause of the wreckage of the plane. 

"Presumably, the wreckage of the plane has been found at the territory of the Spartak ski base. The clouds are dissipating, the visibility is improving. The Mi-8 (search and rescue helicopter) plans to land, the rescuers are looking for a landing site," the source said as per ANI.

As per the DW report, authorities were still unable to reach the site where the wreckage was found due to difficult terrain. Authorities had launched an extensive search-and-rescue mission shortly after Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said on Wednesday that the plane went off the radar. However, the efforts were reportedly hindered because of fading light and bad weather conditions. 

What is known about the An-26 plane

As per the report, the plane was flying at an ultralow altitude of 600 metres or 1,969 feet when it lost contact with the radar. Russia’s Interfax news agency said quoting an unnamed source that the flight was in “normal mode” and “no failures were reported.” Furthermore, as per the preliminary data, the crew was about to ‘bypass’ the excess cloud cover. However, after that, “communication disappeared,” the source told the agency. 

A Mi-8 helicopter was reportedly dispatched by the Emergencies Ministry in rescue efforts which ultimately discovered the wreckage during an aerial reconnaissance mission. Additionally, over 40 rescuers on all-terrain vehicles were also dispatched to the site. Till now, there has been no report or information regarding the fate of the crew or passengers aboard the plane. 

The unnamed source told Interfax that the crew might have miscalculated the altitude without taking into account the differing ground terrain that might have led to the crash. The source also said that metal fatigue may have also played a part. The source further explained, “Certain components of the plane could not withstand the load, if the crew took a sharp manoeuvre in an attempt to avoid collision with the ground.” A criminal investigation has been launched. 

(IMAGE: AP/Representative)