The unexpected landing of 34 passengers on a Polar Airlines flight found them on a frozen river in Kolyma, Russia, instead of arriving at the airport. According to local media reports, it was the pilot who made the wrong route and landing zone, but further investigation will be required to clarify what happened on board.
Flight PI217, which took off from Yakutsk, the capital of the Sakha Republic in Russia’s Far East, then landed on ice outside the Zyryanka Airport runway. The plane was then supposed to depart for the city of Srednekolymsk and eventually return to Yakutsk, but the “alternative” landing obviously changed every plan.
In addition to the four crew members, there were also 30 passengers on board, some of whom filmed and photographed the truly unique scene. The Antonov An-24RV stopped not far from the airport, in the middle of a vast area covered with ice and snow, in a deserted environment.
Polar Airlines Antonov An-24RV, RA-47821, touched down on the frozen Kolyma River to the right of the runway at Russia’s Zyryanka Airport. https://t.co/43QPo5gcXY pic.twitter.com/fOoMXNsUZf
— Aviation Safety Network (ASN) (@AviationSafety) December 28, 2023
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
