In an unusual incident, a Polar Airlines flight mistakenly touched down on the icy expanse of the Kolyma River in Russia’s Far East. The pilot’s error led to this unintended landing. Fortunately, all 30 passengers and four crew members on board are reported safe, as per a statement from the Russian airline.
The incident, captured in a video and images shared on social media, reveals the plane stuck in the middle of the frozen River Kolyma in eastern Siberia. Flight YAP217, en route from Yakutsk to Zyryanka, landed off the runway at Zyryanka airport in the Yakutia area, ultimately on a sandbank in the river. A trail of snow illustrates the distance covered during the landing.
An investigation has been ordered by the territorial department of the Federal Air Transport Agency to determine the cause of this unexpected landing.
