Angara Airlines Flight 9007

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On 11 July 2011, Angara Airlines Flight 9007, an Antonov An-24 turboprop operating a domestic route from Tomsk to Surgut, Russia, performed an emergency water landing in the Ob River after experiencing an engine fire. Seven out of the 37 individuals on board lost their lives.

Accident

Flight IK9007 operated by Angara Airlines (also identified as flight SP5007 under Tomsk Avia) departed from Bogashevo Airport in Tomsk at 10:10 local time (UTC+7) on 11 July, carrying four crew members and thirty-three passengers en route to Surgut International Airport.

While cruising at approximately 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) at about 11:36, a magnetic chip detector alerted the crew to metallic debris detected within the oil system of the left (port) engine. Despite this warning, the captain chose to proceed with the flight. Roughly eight minutes later, the cockpit was filled with a burning odor and the port engine’s fire alarm briefly sounded. The flight crew reduced power on that engine but did not shut it down, and they closed off the bleed air supply.

The pilots then commenced a diversion towards Nizhnevartovsk Airport. At around 11:52, after observing a rapid decline in oil pressure accompanied by intense vibrations, they confirmed that the engine was engulfed in fire. Subsequently, they shut down the affected engine and activated its fire suppression system; however, the flames persisted. Consequently, the crew decided to execute an immediate ditching into the nearby Ob River.

The aircraft made contact with the water at approximately 11:56 near Strezhevoy, situated about 60 km (40 mi) southeast of Nizhnevartovsk. Due to shallow depths and irregularities on the riverbed, the ditching caused substantial damage to the airplane. Of those aboard, seven perished while nineteen sustained injuries requiring medical attention.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved in the incident was an Antonov An-24RV bearing the registration RA-47302. Built in 1975, it had reached an operational age of 36 years at the time of the event and had logged more than 48,000 flight hours. Its propulsion was provided by a pair of Ivchenko AI-24 turboprop engines.

Investigation

Recovery of Flight 9007 wreckage from the river bed

The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC/МАК), representing the Commonwealth of Independent States, initiated an inquiry into the accident. Both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were retrieved and subjected to detailed analysis.

In August 2011, the West Siberian Transportation Prosecution Office reported that the aircraft's maintenance did not meet Russian regulatory standards. Although maintenance entries for the magnetic chip detector inspections appeared in the technical log, these checks had not actually been performed. Subsequently, two Angara Airlines officials faced charges.

The final investigation report, published by MAK in December 2013, concluded that the fire in the engine began due to failure of a compressor rotor support bearing. This failure was likely caused either by a manufacturing flaw or improper reassembly following maintenance. Additionally, the report highlighted the captain’s apparent hesitation to shut down the malfunctioning engine despite multiple abnormal warnings, which contributed to the fire escalating beyond control.

External links

• Final accident report (Archived) – Interstate Aviation Committee (in Russian)
• Template:Youtube