PHOTOS: The Plane Landed Not on the Runway, but on a River

Due to crew error, an An-24 aircraft landed not on the runway, but on the Kolyma River.

On the morning of December 28 in Yakutia, the An-24 aircraft exited the runway while landing at Zyryanka Airport and landed on a sandbank in the Kolyma River. According to initial reports, the cause was a mistake by the crew during piloting. This was reported by the Eastern Siberian Transport Prosecutor's Office.

The aircraft of Polar Airlines was operating a passenger flight on the Yakutsk-Zyryanka-Srednekolymsk-Yakutsk route. None of the passengers or crew were injured, and they were evacuated from the aircraft.

Representatives from Polar Airlines, the Federal Air Transport Agency's commission from the Sakha Republic (Yakutsk), and staff from the Transport Investigation Department of the Military Medical School of Russia have arrived at the scene. The Yakutian transport prosecutor's office is conducting an investigation.

A representative of the Federal Air Transport Agency stated that the landing on the frozen Kolyma River has been classified as a serious aviation incident. It is believed that the aircraft has not sustained damage. A decision regarding the tug is to be made later.