Contact lost with an An-26 plane carrying 28 people in eastern Russia – No survivors

The Antonov-26 was flying over the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East when it stopped transmitting its reconnaissance signals.

All contact was lost with a twin-engined turboprop Antonov 26B-100 plane (MSN 12310, built 1982, registration RA-26085) carrying 28 persons on board (6 crew members and 22 passengers, two of them minors) in eastern Russia.

The aircraft, belonging to Kamtchatka Aviation Enterprise, was operating flight PTK251 between Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (PKC/UHPP) and Palana (UHPL) on the Kamchatka Peninsula when it stopped transmitting its reconnaissance signals. The plane took off from Yelizov airport on 6 July 2021 at 12:57 Kamchatka time (UTC+12) and was supposed to arrive at Palana airport at 15:05.

Meteorologists noted there was a low cloud cover in the area, but visibility was within normal range.

Two helicopters with troops from the Russian Emergencies Ministry and an Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft of the Russian Pacific Fleet were mobilised to search for the plane which, according to various sources, could have been lost at sea or crashed into the ground near Palana. A number of ships have been deployed to look for survivors or debris at Shelikov Bay.

Later in the day, debris from the plane was found about four kilometres from Palana airport, Russian air agency Rossaviatsia said, specifying that “the work of rescuers is difficult” because of the geography of the place. The plane was thought to have crashed into a cliff as it was preparing to land in poor visibility conditions. There aren’t any survivors.

In the meantime, a criminal case has been initiated over violation of safety rules after the disappearance of the plane.