According to Russian news agencies Interfax and RIA Novosti, this twin-engine turboprop aircraft took off from the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on the Kamchatka Peninsula and headed for the city of Palana.
The latest confirmed now promotes Reutersthat the plane crashed in the Sea of Okhotsk during the landing approach to the Palana airfield, having lost contact with the air traffic control service.
There are several boats on site to locate the aircraft, which has been in service since 1982 and its license expires on August 30, and to try to rescue the survivors.
Among the 28 crew members – 22 passengers and six crew members – Palana Mayor Olga Mokhireva.
“The plane stopped radio communications when it was about to land. He did not report any problems on board, ”a source in the regional emergency service said, citing the official TASS news agency.
Two helicopters were also used for the searches.
Poor maintenance and lack of safety regulations have already caused several accidents in the Russian aviation industry.
The last serious accident was reported in May 2019, when a Sukhoi Superjet, owned by the national airline Aeroflot, was forced to land, exploding on the runway of a Moscow airport, killing 41 people.
In February 2018, an An-148 aircraft from Saratov Airlines crashed shortly after takeoff near Moscow, killing 71 people on board.
An investigation determined that human error was the cause of the accident.
Air transport in Russia is also often faced with harsh flight conditions in the remote regions of the Arctic and Far East.
[Notícia atualizada às 8:59]
