An-26B crashes on landing

An An-26B operated by Kamchatka Aviation Enterprise, as flight PTK251, crashed on landing in Palana. There were 28 people on board. It was initially believed that the aircraft impacted the water on approach, but the wreckage was found on the side of a mountain. Some of the wreckage was found in the water below where the impact occurred. The flight originated in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

More information as it becomes available.

MOSCOW, July 6 (Reuters) - There are no survivors after a plane carrying 28 people crashed in the far east of Russia on Tuesday, Russian news agencies cited rescue officials as saying.

The Antonov An-26 twin-engined turboprop was en route from the regional capital Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Palana, a village in the north of the Kamchatka peninsula, when it lost contact with air traffic control, the emergencies ministry said.

Citing sources, Interfax reported that the plane was thought to have crashed into a cliff as it was preparing to land in poor visibility conditions.

www.reuters.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Sounds like poor visibility and...

Both pilots, who were among the dead, were found to have alcohol in their blood, Tass reported.

rsoe-edis.org...

a reply to: Bigburgh

Wow! Go figure, pilot error in Russia, what a shocker.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus
With alcohol in their blood as well...

Tough area for flying...even when you're not drunk!

Especially on an old turbo like an AN-26...maintained by another bunch of drunk guys, at an airbase run by even more drunk guys.

Vodka, it's a helluva drug!

"SALYUT!!!" **hic**

a reply to: Zaphod58

I'm not sure I'd call crashing into a cliff at 250 mph while drunk..."landing", but hey, whatever!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

What I linked stated that there was alcohol in the pilots blood. It did not state how much alcohol percentage.

The AN-26 is an all weather aircraft.
If this info is correct and not coerced by Wikipedia:
en.m.wikipedia.org...

In good humor I had to take this in consideration as well ( yet tragic ):

Tough area for flying...even when you're not drunk!

Especially on an old turbo like an AN-26...maintained by another bunch of drunk guys, at an airbase run by even more drunk guys.

Vodka, it's a helluva drug!

"SALYUT!!!" **hic**

You're not far off, but that statement would have to include the Antonov Design Bureau as well, whom was Vodka'd up while designing these aircraft fully knowing the crew would be celebrating with vodka.

Drunk Russians crash plane.
And this is NEWS?

Included among the passengers was the mayor of Palana.

originally posted by: Bigburgh
a reply to: Zaphod58

Sounds like poor visibility and...

Both pilots, who were among the dead, were found to have alcohol in their blood, Tass reported.

rsoe-edis.org...

You didn't read the article correctly. The alcohol was found in the bodies of the pilots of a previous crash. There was an An-28 that was flying the same route that crashed into a forest area near the airport. Both pilots in that crash were found to have alcohol in their blood. No bodies from this crash have been recovered yet.

In 2012, an Antonov An-28 plane belonging to Kamchatka Aviation Enterprise crashed into a mountain while flying from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsk and coming in for a landing in Palana. A total of 14 people were on board and 10 of them were killed. Both pilots, who were among the dead, were found to have alcohol in their blood, Tass reported.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

They don't know these pilots were drunk. They haven't recovered any bodies yet. The pilots that were mentioned earlier, that were drunk, were from a previous crash in the same area.

a reply to: Zaphod58

My apologies,
You're 100% correct. This thread is on the AN-26b and they lumped the AN-28 into it and i got confused.
But I see that now.

My mistake and apologies.

a reply to: Zaphod58

No, you are correct. And, I didn't realize this was a passenger aircraft either. I mistakenly thought it was a cargo flight.

My dark sarcasm was inappropriate. I retract my earlier statement.

RIP to those lost.

The Captain was 35 and had been with Kamchatka Aviation Enterprise since 2013. He had 750 hours as Captain, and over 3300 hours. The First Officer had been with them over a year, with 1253 hours, 1091 on the An-26B. The Flight Engineer was 65, with 9300 total hours, and 6900 on the An-26. The Navigator had previously flown with state aviation for 11 years, and Kamchatka Aviation Enterprise since 2018. He had 2090 hours, with 1263 on the An-26. He was 49.

The aircraft had passed an inspection the week before the accident, and had undergone a life extension upgrade.

simpleflying.com...