Russian Plane Makes Emergency Landing on Frozen River

Prosecutors in Russia's transport incidents reported that a Soviet-era Antonov-24 aircraft with 30 passengers landed on a frozen river near an airport in the Far East of Russia on Thursday due to a pilot error. Authorities stated that the plane, operated by Polar Airlines, safely landed on the Kolyma River near Zyryanka in the Yakutia region. A spokesman for the eastern Siberian transport prosecutor's office said in a statement, "According to preliminary information, the cause of the incident is a mistake by the crew in piloting the aircraft." Prosecutors released photos of the plane on the frozen river, and the newspaper Izvestia published images of passengers disembarking from the aircraft. Polar Airlines issued a brief statement saying, "The Antonov-24 aircraft landed outside the runway of Zyryanka Airport."