Utair An-26 wrecked after landing short of north Russian airport

Russian investigators are probing an approach accident during which an Utair Antonov An-26-100 came down short of Utrenny airport. The aircraft was severely damaged during the event. It had been operating a charter service from Sabetta to Utrenny, which lie on opposite sides of a Kara Sea channel in northern Russia. According to the Ural transport prosecutor’s office, the aircraft made a “hard landing” some 2km from the destination airport, at around 15:40 on 14 June. The office says a number of occupants on flight 9706 suffered injuries, without elaborating. It identifies the aircraft as RA-26662, which was originally delivered to Aeroflot in 1979. Images from the prosecutor’s office show the twin-engined aircraft’s fuselage fractured, with its forward section, including the cockpit, dislocated. Meteorological conditions at the time of the accident have not been disclosed, but the aircraft came to rest against a deep snow bank. Utrenny airport has a single 1,550m runway.<br/>