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An-26
An-26 Niµ Nishava Serbien Marko Stojkovic IMG 2634-1-2.jpg
An-26 of the Serbian Air Force
RoleTransport aircraft
National originSoviet Union
Design groupAntonov
First flight21 May 1969[1]
Introduction1970
StatusOperational
Primary usersSoviet Air Force
Pakistan Air Force
Vietnamese Air Force
Produced1969–1986
Number built1,403
Developed fromAntonov An-24
VariantsAntonov An-32

The Antonov An-26 (NATO reporting name: Curl) is a twin-engined turboprop civilian and military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the Soviet Union from 1969 to 1986.[1]

Development[edit]

After successful operations of the An-24T tactical transport in austere locations, interest in a version with a retractable cargo ramp increased. Initial studies for the retractable ramp were carried out as part of the projected An-40 medium transport. When given the go-ahead for the An-26 in March 1968, the Antonov OKB adapted the ramp design of the An-40 to the An-24 fuselage, resulting in the An-26. Particular attention was given to the military mission, and the majority of early An-26 production was delivered to the VTA (voyenno-transportnaya aviatsiya).[1]

Using the majority of the An-24 airframe, with its high-set cantilevered wings, twin turboprops and stalky main undercarriage, the An-26 included military equipment, such as tip-up paratroop canvas seats, an overhead traveling hoist, bulged observation windows and parachute static line attachment cables. The An-26 made its public debut at the 27th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget where the second prototype, CCCP-26184 (c/n00202), was shown in the static aircraft park.[citation needed]

The An-26 is also manufactured without a license agreement[1] in China by the Xian Aircraft factory as the Y-14, later changed to be included in the Xian Y7 series.[1]

Total production[edit]

Total Production[2]198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975197419731972197119701969
115915333547786125149130103997762353621144

Operational history[edit]

The An-26 has a secondary bomber role with underwing bomb racks. The racks are attached to the fuselage in front of and behind the rear landing gear. In the bombing role it was extensively used by the Vietnam People's Air Force during the Cambodian–Vietnamese War and Sudanese Air Force during the Second Sudanese Civil War and the War in Darfur.[3] Also Russian Forces train with the An-26 as a bomber.[4]

Variants[edit]

An-26 cargo cabin
CAAC Antonov An-26 at China Aviation Museum, Beijing
An-26
"Curl-A" : Twin-engine tactical transport aircraft.[1]
An-26-100
Convertible passenger/cargo aircraft modified from 'An-26' aircraft at the Kyiv plant from 1999.[1]
An-26 Nel'mo
An arctic surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft retrofitted with Nel'mo equipment.[1]
An-26 Pogoda
(Weather) Another aircraft for weather control duties, similar to the 'An-26 Tsiklon ', with a simplified equipment test lab.[1]
An-26 Polyot
(Flight) A single aircraft retrofitted for the purpose of research of unified air traffic control and monitoring system throughout the USSR, with a comprehensive navigation test lab including precision compasses and Doppler speed/shift sensors.[1]
An-26 Sfera
(Sphere) A single production aircraft built as a laboratory for atmospheric research.[1]
An-26 Shtabnoy
(Shtab: or Headquarters) some 'An-26's delivered to the Soviet and DDR air forces for use as staff transports/mobile command posts.[1]
An-26 Vita
An-26 Vitauk
(Life) A single mobile operating room, surgery and intensive care unit ('25 Blue', c/n5406), for the Ukrainian Air Force.[1]
An-26A
A one-off assault transport prototype with higher performance due to removal of some military equipment.[1]
An-26ASLK
(Avtomatizirovannaya sistema lyotnogo kontrolya – automated flight control and monitoring system) : A modern flight control and monitoring system equipped with automatic calibration and navigation systems. Recognizable by the distinctive pod low on the forward fuselage side.[1]
An-26B
A civil cargo version equipped with roller gangsways which can be swung up against the cabin walls when not in use. It was also equipped with two ZMDB Progress (Ivchyenko) Al-24VT turboprop powerplants to deliver higher thrust.[1]
An-26B
'Mobile Hospital' : The prototype 'An-26B' retrofitted as a mobile civilian emergency hospital.[1]
An-26B Tsiklon
(Cyclone) A weather research/control and cloud-seeding aircraft for the Central Aerologic Laboratory. This aircraft was used for rain induction and protection using cloud-seeding chemicals dropped from slab-sided pods hung from pylons.[1]
An-26B-100
Convertible passenger/cargo aircraft modified from 'An-26B' aircraft at the Kyiv plant from 1999.[1]
An-26BL
Alternative designation for the 'An-26L'.[1]
An-26BRL
Alternative designation of the 'An-26RL' Arctic surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.[1]
An-26D
(Dal'niy – long-range) An extended range version with extra fuel in wing tanks and additional external tanks attached to the airframe of the fuselage. One aircraft ('21 Yellow', c/n 13806) was retrofitted and delivered, but no further orders were forthcoming.[1]
An-26K Kaira
(Great Auk) A single An-26 aircraft converted to a Kaira test airframe for the development of airborne LASER guided systems.[1]
An-26K Kaplya
(Drop [of liquid]) After completion of the LASER designator trials the 'An-26K Kaira' was retrofitted to search or optically guided weapons as the navigation systems. During a night test flight at low level, in March 1989, the An-26K Kaplya suffered a massive bird strike, which consequently destroyed the windshield and injured the pilot, who involuntarily downed the aircraft into the Azov Sea.[1]
An-26KPA
(Kontrol'no-Poverochnaya Apparatura – Testing and calibration equipment) : A navigation aids inspecting aircraft with comprehensive navigation equipment and calibration equipment.[1]
An-26L
A single 'An-26', (14 Orange, c/n 00607), used at Sperenberg Airfield near Berlin, for airfield and NAVAID calibration.[1]
An-26LL-PLO
(Letayuschaya Laboratoriya – Protivolodochnoy Oborony – ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) testbed) : A single 'An-26A' aircraft, (c/n 0901), retrofitted and modified to accommodate range of sophisticated laboratory for surveillance systems, detecting and tracking stealthy nuclear submarines.[1]
An-26LP
Firefighting version, for delivery of field equipment and para-dropping firefighters in lieu of water-bombing (any more info?).[1]
An-26M Spasatel
(Rescue worker) Flying hospital with an emergency surgery facility and consultation conference room.[1]
An-26P
(Protivopozharnyy – firefighting) : Aircraft fire engine fighter, retrofitted with water lifting vessels in pods on either side of the lower fuselage.[1]
An-26P Prozhektor
(Projector or Searchlight) A single conversion of an An-26 as a guided missile system airframe.[1]
An-26REP
(RadioElektronnoye Protivodeystviye – ECM (Electronic Counter-Measures) [aircraft]) : Electronic countermeasures aircraft fitted with active jammers in cylindrical pods on either side of the lower fuselage sides, as well as chaff and I/R flares for self-defense.[1]
An-26RL
(Razvedchik Ledovyy – An arctic surveillance, reconnaissance and monitoring) : An arctic surveillance, reconnaissance and monitoring aircraft used to monitor the icebergs and ice formations at arctic circle fitted with SLAR (Sideways Looking Airborne Radar) in long pods on either side of the lower fuselage, extra fuel in a cargo hold fuel tank, provision for surveyors and radar operators.[1]
An-26RR
Alternative unit designation of the 'An-26RT' ELINT(ELectronic INTelligence) aircraft.[1]
An-26RT
"Curl-B": (First use of the designation) A basic designation for a series of ELINT aircraft fitted with a wide range of electromagnetic surveillance equipment. At least one aircraft, (tactical code '152'), retrofitted with the Tarahn (Ramming Attack) ELINT suite for use in Afghanistan.[1]
An-26RT
(ReTranslyator – Interpreter -Translator): (Substitute of designation) Battlefield communications relay aircraft, fitted with powerful Inzheer (Fig) radio relay system, for connecting forward units to headquarters units.[1]
An-26RTR
Alternative unit designation of the 'An-26RT' ELINT aircraft.[1]
An-26S
(Salon – [VIP] Lounge) : A new VIP Lounge aircraft for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense delivered about 1997.[1]
An-26Sh
(Shturmanskiy – Navigator) : Navigator trainer for the VVS, 36 built at Kyiv.[1]

Non-USSR /-Ukrainian versions[edit]

DDR An-26SM "369", later German Air Force "52+09", at the Museum Berlin-Gatow.
An-26SM
One aircraft modified for NAVAID calibration and flight monitoring for the East German Air Force and transferred to the post-unification German Air Force.[1]
An-26M
One aircraft modified as an ELINT aircraft for the East German Air Force and transferred to the post-unification German Air Force.[1]
An-26ST
East German special duties aircraft.[1]
An-26T
Unofficial East German designation for 'An-26's' operated by Transportfliegerstaffel 24 (transport squadron 24).[1]
An-26Z-1
Czechoslovakian ELINT conversion of one aircraft for ELINT duties.[1]
Xian Y-7H
Military transport version. Chinese production version.[1]
Xian Y-14
Initial designation of the 'AN-26' copy, later changed to 'Y-7H' (Hao – cargo).[1]

Operators[edit]

Military operators[edit]

Map with military An-26 operators in blue, and former military An-26 operators in red
Russian An-26 intercepted by a British Typhoon over the Baltics in July 2015
Ukrainian An-26
Slovak Air Force An-26 at Farnborough Airshow, 2008
Russian Air Force Antonov An-26
Vietnam People's Air Force Antonov An-26
 Angola
  • National Air Force of Angola – one An-24 or An-26 operated December 2015.[5]
 Belarus
  • Belarusian Air Force – three operated December 2016.[6]
 Cape Verde
  • Cape Verde Army – 3
 Chad
  • Chad Air Force – three in service December 2016.[7]
 China
  • 23 Xian Y-7; 4 Xian Y-7-100; includes all types of Y-7 aircraft
    • People's Liberation Army Air Force
    • People's Liberation Army Navy
 Cuba
  • Cuban Air Force – operated 17,[8] two in service December 2016.[9]
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo Air Force – three in service as of 2021.[10]
 Ethiopia
  • Ethiopian Air Force – one
 Ivory Coast
  • Ivory Coast Air Force – two in service as of 2021.[10]
 Kazakhstan
  • Kazakh Air Force – five An-24 or An-26 in service December 2015.;[11] Received one refurbished An-26 from Ukraine on 3 November 2017.[12]
 Kyrgyzstan
  • Kyrgyz Air Force – two donated from Russia in August 2017.[13]
 Laos
  • Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force – one in service December 2016.[11]
 Libya
  • Libyan Air Force – two An-24/An-26 as of December 2016.[11]
 Madagascar
  • Malagasy Air Force – one
 Moldova
  • Moldovan Air Force – one as of December 2016.[14]
 Mozambique
  • Mozambique Air Force – one as of December 2016.[14]
 Namibia
  • Namibian Air Force – one as of December 2016.[14]
 Nicaragua
  • Nicaraguan Air Force – four as of February 2018.[15][16]
 Puntland
  • Puntland Maritime Police Force – one[17]
 Russia
  • Russian Air Force – 104 as of December 2016.[18]
  • Russian Naval Aviation[18]
  • Border Guard Service of Russia
 Serbia
  • Serbian Air Force – two in service, four in reserve as of December 2016.[19]
 Sudan
  • Sudanese Air Force – six as of December 2016;[20] at least one used as an improvised bomber
 Syria
  • Syrian Air Force – two as of December 2016;[21] one crashed
 Ukraine
  • Ukrainian Naval Aviation – two as of December 2016[22]
  • Ukrainian Air Force – around 22 as of 2017[23]
 Uzbekistan
  • Uzbek Air Force – four as of December 2016[24]
 Yemen
  • Yemen Air Force – six

Former military operators[edit]

 Afghanistan
  • Afghan Air Force – All remaining aircraft retired June 2011. One of their An-26 which defected to Pakistan, is preserved at PAF Museum, Karachi
 Bangladesh
  • Bangladesh Air Force
 Benin
  • Benin Air Force – two[25]
 Bulgaria
  • Bulgarian Air Force – five used from 1984 until 2011[23]
 Cambodia
  • Royal Cambodian Air Force
An-26 of the Czech Air Force
 Republic of the Congo
  • Congolese Air Force – one
 Czechoslovakia
  • Czechoslovakian Air Force
 East Germany
  • East German Air Force
 Germany
  • German Air Force
 Guinea-Bissau
  • Guinea-Bissau Air Force
 Hungary
  • Hungarian Air Force – 11 delivered from 1974, last one retired June 2020.[23][26]
Hungarian Air Force Antonov An-26 departs RIAT at RAF Fairford, England
 Iraq
  • Iraqi Air Force
 Mongolia
  • Mongolian Air Defense Forces Command – four
An-26 of the Lithuanian Air Force (now retired)
 Lithuania
  • Lithuanian Air Force – three operated
 Mali
  • Air Force of Mali
 Niger
  • Niger Air Force – one
 North Yemen
  • North Yemen Air Force
 Pakistan
  • Pakistani Air Force
 Peru
  • Peruvian Air Force – 22 operated from 1977 to 1993
An-26 of the Polish Air Force (Operated before 2009, now retired)
 Poland
  • Polish Air Force – 12 operated from 1972 to January 2009; retired[27]
 Romania
  • Romanian Air Force – Replaced by Alenia C-27J Spartan before 2017[23]
 Slovakia
  • Slovak Air Force – Two, retired in 2016, to be replaced by Alenia C-27J Spartan aircraft beginning in 2017.[28][29][30]
 Somalia
  • Somali Air Corps
 Soviet Union
  • Soviet Air Force – Passed on to successor states in 1991
  • Soviet Naval Aviation –
 Tanzania
  • Tanzanian Air Force – none; retired
 Turkmenistan
  • Military of Turkmenistan – ten
 United States
  • United States Air Force – Operated 2003–2007 by the 6th Special Operations Squadron[31]

 Vietnam

  • Vietnam People's Air Force [32]
 Yugoslavia
  • Yugoslav Air Force – 14
 Zambia
  • Zambian Air Force and Air Defense Command – four

Civil operators[edit]

UTair Cargo An-26 at Pulkovo Airport
Polar Airlines An-26-100 at Yakutsk Airport
RAF-Avia An-26B at Birmingham Airport
 Belarus
  • Genex (two)
 Bulgaria
  • Air Bright (one)
 Colombia
  • Sadelca (one)
  • Servicio Aéreo del Vaupés SELVA (three)
 Cuba
  • Aerogaviota (three)[33]
 Denmark
  • SAS Cargo Group (one)
 Hungary
  • CityLine Hungary (four)
 Latvia
  • RAF-Avia (five)
 Moldova
  • Valan International Cargo Charter[34]
 Peru
  • Aero Condor (one)
  • Amazon Sky (two)
  • ATSA (one)
  • Cielos Andinos (two)
 Philippines
  • Interisland Airlines
  • Mosphil Aero
 Poland
  • Exin (six)
 Russia
  • Angara Airlines (three)[35]
  • Chukotavia (three)[36]
  • IrAero (ten)[37]
  • Khabarovsk Airlines (three)[38]
  • Kostroma Air Enterprise (four)[39]
  • KrasAvia (four)[40]
  • Polar Airlines (three)[41]
 Tajikistan
  • Tajik Air (one)
 Ukraine
  • Air Urga (ten)
  • Antonov Airlines (one)[42]
  • ARP 410 Airlines (five)
  • Constanta Airline (four)[43]
  • Eleron Airlines (two)[44]
  • Vulkan Air (three)[45]
 Venezuela
  • SolarCargo
AN-26 operators within Aeroflot and post break-up Commonwealth of Independent States (data from[1])
UGA – (Upravleniye Grazhdanskoy Aviatsii – Civil Aviation Directorate)OAO – (Otdel'nyy Aviaotryad – independent flight detachment)LO – (Lyvotnyy Otryad – flight squad) / Aviaeskadril'ya – squadrons)Home BaseCIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) Airline)
AzerbaijanBaku360th / 1st & 3rd squadronsBaku-BinaAZAL (no An-26s)
BelarusianGomel'105th / 2nd squadronGomel'Gomel'avia
1st Minsk353rd / 2nd SquadronMinsk-Loshitsa (Minsk-1)Belavia;Minsk-Avia
Central RegionsBykovo61st / 4th SquadronMoscow-BykovoBykovo Avia
KurskKurskKurskavia
Tula294thTulaTula Air Enterprise
East SiberianChita136th / 1st SquadronChitaChita Avia
Irkutsk134thIrkutsk-1Baikal Airlines
Far Eastern1st Khabarovsk289thKhabarovskDalavia Far East Airlines Khabarovsk
Kamchatka CAPA / PetropavlovskPetropavlovsk-KamchatskiyPetropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air Enterprise
Sakhalin CAPA / Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk UAD147thYuzhno-Sakhalinsk / KhomutvoSakhalinskiye Aviatrassy
KomiPechoraPechoraKomiavia;Komiinteravia
KrasnoyarskIgarka251stIgarka
2nd Krasnoyarsk126thKrasnoyarsk-SevernyyKras Air
Khatanga221st / 2nd SquadronKhatanga
Leningrad2nd Leningrad70th / 2nd SquadronLeningrad-RzhevkaRzhevka Air Enterprise
Pskov320th / 2nd SquadronPskovPskov Avia
LithuanianVilnius277thVilniusLithuanian Airlines
MagadanAnadyr'150th / 2nd SquadronAnadyr'-Ugol'nyyChukotavia
1st Magadan185thMagadan-SokolKolyma-Avia
SeymchanSeymchanNW Aerial Forestry Protection Base
MoldavianKishinyov407thKishinyovAir Moldova
North CaucasianKrasnodar241stKrasnodarALK Kuban Airlines
1st Krasnodar406thKrasnodar
TajikLeninabad292nd / 2nd SquadronLeninabad
Training Establishments DirectorateKVLUGA (Kirovograd Civil Aviation Higher Flying School)KirovogradUkraine State Flight Academy
TurkmenKrasnovodsk360thKrasnovodskTurkmenistan Airlines/Khazar
Tyumen'Salekhard234th / 5th SquadronSalekhard
2ndTyumen'357thTyumen'-RoschchinoTyumen'AviaTrans (UTair)
UkrainianDnipropetrovsk327thDnipropetrovsk-Volos'kieDniproavia
KirovogradKirovograd-KhmelyovoyeAir URGA
Simferopol84thSimferopolAviakompaniya Krym / Crimea AL
UralsIzhevskIzhevskIzhavia
MagnitogorskMagnitogorskMagnitogorsk Air Enterprise
1st Perm'Perm'-Bolshoye SavinoPerm Airlines
1st SverdlovskSverdlovsk-Kol'tsovoUral Airlines [Yekaterinburg]
VolgaPenza396thPenzaPenza Air Enterprise
SaranskSaranskSaransk Air Enterprise
West SiberianBarnaul341stBarnaulBarnaul Air Enterprise
Kemerovo196thKemerovo
Novokuznetsk184thNovokuznetskAerokuznetsk
Omsk365thOmskOmsk-Avia
Tolmachevo448thNovosibirsk-TolmachevoSibir'
Tomsk119thTomskTomsk Avia
YakutianKolyma-IndigirkaCherskiy?
Mirnyy190thMirnyyAlmazy Rossii – Sakha (Alrosa)
Yakutsk139th / 3rd SquadronYakutsk
GosNII GVF (Gosudarstvenny Nauchno-Issledovatel'skiy Institut Grazdahnskovo Vozdushnovo Flota – state scientific test institute for civil air fleet)Moscow - Sheremet'yevo-1

Accidents and incidents[edit]

Sudan Air Force Antonov An-26-100 crash-landed in 1997 at the airstrip of Gogrial. The plane was hit by SPLA-fire and had to make an emergency landing.
  • 23 May 1976: An Aeroflot An-26 (CCCP-26567) crashed short of the runway near Teply Klyuch Airport, Russia.[46]
  • 18 August 1977: An Aeroflot An-26 (CCCP-26536) landed hard at Ust-Kuyga Airport due to pilot error; no casualties.[47]
  • 9 December 1978: An Aeroflot An-26 (CCCP-26547) lost control and crashed shortly after takeoff from Cherskiy Airport due to a shifted load, killing all seven on board. The cargo had not been secured properly.[48]
  • 26 March 1979: Aeroflot Flight 37293, an An-26 (CCCP-26569), struck a wooded hillside near Baykit, Russia, killing four of 12 on board.[49][50]
  • 23 December 1981: Aeroflot Flight 22237, an An-26 (CCCP-26505), crashed while on approach to Severo-Yeniseisk Airport in poor weather during an attempted go-around after descending too soon, killing two of seven on board. The flight mechanic and navigator were drunk.[51]
  • 14 January 1982: An Ethiopian Air Force An-26 crashed near Addis Ababa, killing 73 Ethiopian, Libyan and Cuban troops. This accident remains the deadliest involving the An-26.[52]
  • 11 February 1982: Vietnam People's Air Force An-26 26264 was shot down by two Royal Thai Air Force Northrop F-5Es and crashed in a rice field near Prachinburi, Thailand during an intelligence-gathering mission from Phnom Penh, reportedly killing one of 13 on board.[53]
  • 23 December 1982: An Aeroflot An-26 (CCCP-26627) crashed on takeoff from Rostov Airport, killing all 16 on board. The aircraft was overloaded.[54]
  • 3 May 1985: Soviet Air Force An-26 101 red (callsign "CCCP-26492") collided in mid-air with Aeroflot Flight 8381, a Tupolev Tu-134, due to ATC errors, killing all 94 on board both aircraft.
  • 4 September 1985: A Bakhtar Afghan Airlines An-26 (YA-BAM) was shot down by a SAM near Kandahar, killing all 52 people on board.
  • 30 March 1986: A Mozambique Air Force An-26 crashed while trying to land at Pemba Airport. All three crew and 41 of the 46 passengers were killed.
  • 16 September 1987: Vietnam People's Air Force An-26 285 flying from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City crashed at Bảo Lộc while on approach to Ho Chi Minh City, killing all 31 crew and passengers on board, mostly military personnel and their family members. Wreckage was found in 1989.[55]
  • 21 December 1987: A Soviet Air Force An-26 flying from Kabul to Bagram was shot down by a Stinger missile shortly after takeoff. The no. 1 engine was hit and shrapnel punctured the fuel tank. Smoke entered the cabin. Five of the six crew members bailed out safely, however the pilot jumped out at an altitude too low to open the parachute and did not survive.[56]
  • 27 April 1988: Cuban Air Force An-26 T-237 was accidentally shot down by Cuban troops stationed at Techamutete, Angola, killing all 29 people on board.
  • 10 December 1988: An Ariana Afghan Airlines An-26 was shot down over Pakistan by the Pakistan Air Force, killing all 25 people on board.
  • 19 July 1989: An Aeroflot An-26 (CCCP-26685) was on an ice observation flight over the East Siberian Sea to guide ships when it crashed at Cape Kibera after the left wing hit a cliff during a turn that was too close to the shore, killing all 10 on board.[57]
  • 1990s: Soviet Air Force An-26 01 red burned out on the ground at Orenburg Air Base following an APU fire.[58]
  • mid 1990s: Russian Air Force An-26 RA-47415 force-landed at Belgorod Airport and was withdrawn from use and cancelled from the Russian register in 2001. Although the aircraft was planned to become a cinema for the "Rolan Bykov Fund" in Belgorod, this was abandoned in 2004 because some of the radioactive sensors had not been removed.[59]
  • 23 March 1990: Cubana de Aviacion Flight 7406, an An-26 (CU-T1436), overran the runway at Antonio Maceo Airport following an aborted takeoff, killing four of 46 on board.[60]
  • 27 February 1992: German Air Force An-26 "52+10" crashed after a hard landing. None of the crew members was injured.
  • 8 April 1992: Yasir Arafat's An-26 crashed during a sandstorm. Of the 13 on board, both pilots and an engineer were killed.
  • 23 April 1993: A MIAT Mongolian Airlines An-26 (BNMAU-14102) struck the side of Marz Mountain, Zavkhan Province, Mongolia while descending for Ölgii, killing all 32 on board.[61]
  • 17 June 1993: A Tajikistan Airlines An-26 (26035) stalled, spun down and crashed into a hillside 22 mi north of Tbilisi, Georgia after encountering severe turbulence, killing all 33 on board.[62]
  • 26 December 1993: A Kuban Airlines An-26 (RA-26141) stalled and crashed upside down while landing at Leninakan Airport due to overloading, killing 35 of 36 on board.[63]
  • 13 July 1994: A Russian Air Force An-26 was stolen from Kubinka AFB by an engineer planning to commit suicide. He circled Lyakhovo at 300-2000 feet until the aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed, killing him.
  • 31 July 1994: An Air Ukraine An-26B (UR-26207), operating on behalf of the UN, was reportedly shot down and crashed near Saborsko, Croatia, killing all 7 people on board.[64]
  • 16 January 1995: An Angolan Air Force An-26 was downed by rebel forces in the north of the country, killing all six occupants.[65]
  • 16 March 1995: A Central Region Airlines An-26B (RA-26084) struck a hill and crashed near Ossora Airport while on approach due to crew errors, killing nine of 10 on board.
  • 17 December 1995: Terrorist Kim Davy alias Niels Holck from Denmark dropped several tonnes of lethal weapons, ammunition, explosives and triggers by An-26 in Purulia district of West Bengal State of India. The plane was forced to land in Bombay, where his accomplices were arrested.[66]
  • 1997: Sudan Air Force An-26 7711 force-landed at Gogrial Airport after it was struck by SPLA ground fire.
  • 2 September 1998: A Permtransavia An-26 (RA-20628) and operating for Prestavia, crashed near Malanje Airport, Angola after the pilot reported an engine fire, killing all 24 on board; the wreckage was found in 2003. Some reports stated that the aircraft was shot down by UNITA forces.
  • 21 January 1999: Nicaraguan Air Force An-26 152 crashed after getting too low on approach and striking a tree near Bluefields Airport, killing all 28 people on board.
  • 29 November 2003: Congolese Air Force An-26 9T-TAD crashed during takeoff due to a burst tyre, killing 20 of the 24 people on board and 13 people on the ground.
  • 5 September 2005: A Kavatshi Airlines An-26B (ER-AZT) operating on a non-scheduled passenger flight struck a tree and crashed on approach to Isiro Airport in Matari, killing all 11 people on board.[67]
  • 9 September 2005: An Air Kasai An-26B (9Q-CFD) operating on a non-scheduled passenger flight for crashed 50 km (31 miles) north of Brazzaville, killing all 13 people on board.[68]
  • 9 January 2007: An AerianTur-M Antonov An-26 (ER-26068) crashed while attempting to land at the U.S. military base in Balad, Iraq, killing 34 of 35 on board. Although the aircraft crashed due to fog, some eyewitness and sources state that the aircraft was shot down by a missile.
  • 4 October 2007: An Africa One An-26 (9Q-COS) crashed into the Kinshasa neighbourhood of Kimbaseke just after takeoff. 21 out of 22 people on board and 28 people on the ground died. Initial reports indicate a lost propeller.
  • 8 April 2008: Vietnam People's Air Force An-26 265 crashed in a rice field at Ta Thanh Oai Commune, Thanh Tri, killing all five on board.
  • 18 March 2010: An Exin An-26B (SP-FDO) made an emergency landing on the Lake Ülemiste, close to Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport. None of the 6 crew members was injured. Initial reports indicated failure of one of the turboprop power plants.[69]
  • 25 August 2010: An Exin An-26B (SP-FDP) rejected takeoff from Tallinn's runway 08 at high speed when the gear collapsed or retracted during the takeoff roll on 2010. The airplane skidded to a stop on its belly, no injuries occurred.[70]
  • 6 June 2011: Solenta Aviation Flight 122A, an An-26 (TR-LII), crashed in the sea near Libreville, Gabon during an attempted go-around following hydraulic problems. Four people on board were rescued and transported to a local hospital, but were not seriously injured. The aircraft was operating on behalf of DHL.[71]
  • 19 August 2012: An Alfa Airlines An-26-100 (ST-ARL) struck a mountain during its second approach to the Talodi airfield in South Kordofan, Sudan. All 26 passengers on board and six crew members died.[72]
  • 21 February 2014: A Libyan Air Cargo An-26 (5A-DOW), operating an ambulance flight, crashed in a farm near Grombalia, 60 km short of Tunis-Carthage Airport, after one of its engines caught fire. The accident resulted in the death of all its 11 occupants: six crew members, two doctors and three patients.[73]
  • 14 July 2014: Ukraine Air Force An-26 19 blue flying at 6,500 m (21,300 ft) was shot down and crashed near Izvaryne, Ukraine, killing two of six on board.[74] (confirmed to be shot using Buk missile system).[75] U.S. officials would later say evidence suggested the aircraft had been fired on from inside Russian territory[76]
  • 18 January 2015: Syrian Air Force An-26 YK-AND crashed while attempting to land at the besieged Abu al-Duhur military airport in Idlib Governorate, Syria, killing all 30 on board.
  • 9 March 2016: A True Aviation An-26B (S2-AGZ) crashed into the Bay of Bengal near Cox's Bazar while attempting to return to Cox's Bazar Airport following an engine failure, klling three of four on board.[77]
  • 30 April 2016: A Sudan Air Force An-26 crashed during a landing attempt at Al-Ubayyid. All five crew members died.[citation needed]
  • 20 March 2017: A South Supreme Airlines An-26B (S9-TLZ) was destroyed by fire after crashing at Wau Airport, South Sudan after the left landing gear struck a fire truck during landing; all 45 on board survived.
  • 29 April 2017: Aerogaviota Flight FAR1436, an An-26 (CU-T1406), crashed in the Loma de la Pimienta Mountains near Las Terrazas, Cuba, killing all eight on board. The aircraft was operating on behalf of the Cuban Air Force.[78]
  • 30 May 2017: Russian Air Force An-26 RF-36160 crashed at Balashov Airfield during a training flight after descending too soon, killing one of six on board.[79]
  • 28 August 2017: A Coco Aviation An-26B (EK-26006) overran the runway at Maban Airstrip and was destroyed by the consequent fire. The crew survived.[80]
  • 14 October 2017: A Valan Air An-26 (ER-AVB) chartered by the French Military crashed shortly before landing at Abidjan, the Ivory Coast capital. Four people were killed and six were injured.[81]
  • 6 March 2018: Russian Air Force An-26 RF-92955 crashed at Khmeimim Air Base. All 33 passengers and six crew died in the incident.[82]
  • 20 December 2018: A Gomair An-26 (9S-AGB) crashed 19 nautical miles short of Kinshasa with 7 or 8 people on board. The aircraft was found more than 24 hours later by a local. The aircraft was carrying election materials on behalf of the Central Electoral National Independent Commission (CENI).[83]
  • 24 December 2018: Congolese Air Force An-26 9T-TAB crashed as it overshot the runway at Beni Airport in North Kivu province. The aircraft was reportedly transporting troops, and the crash resulted in 38 people being taken to hospital.[84]
  • 22 August 2020: A South West Aviation An-26 (EX-126) lost power during take-off at Juba Airport and crashed into Hai Referendum residential area on the outskirts of the airport. Out of the 9 occupants on board, 8 crew members were killed alongside 9 others on the ground.[85]
  • 25 September 2020: Ukraine Air Force An-26 76 yellow with cadets of the Ivan Kozhedub National Air Force University crashed and immediately caught fire in Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast.[86] There were 27 people on board; 25 were killed immediately and one died in hospital; the sole survivor was seriously injured.[86][87]
  • 13 March 2021: Kazakh Border Guards An-26 02 white crashed short of the runway while attempting to land at Almaty Airport. Two of the six occupants survived.[88]

Aircraft on display[edit]

An-26 "52+09" at Berlin-Gatow
  • Poland
    • An-26, tail number "1509" is exhibited in the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków
    • An-26, tail number "1602" is exhibited in the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw. The inside of the aircraft is open to visitors on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on special occasions.
  • Germany
    • An-26, tail number "52+04", former East German "375", is exhibited at Technikmuseum Speyer
    • An-26, tail number "52+05", former East German "376" is exhibited at Schwäbisches Bauern- und Technik-Museum, Eschach-Seifertshofen
    • An-26, tail number "52+08", former East German "368" is exhibited at Flugausstellung Hermeskeil
    • An-26SM, tail number "52+09", former East German "369", is exhibited at Militärhistorisches Museum Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow
  • Pakistan
    • AN-26, Afghan Air Force, is exhibited at PAF Museum, Karachi

Specifications[edit]

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988–89[89]

General characteristics

  • Crew: five ( two pilots, one radio operator, one flight engineer, one navigator)
  • Capacity: 40 passengers / 5,500 kg (12,100 lb)
  • Length: 23.8 m (78 ft 1 in)
  • Wingspan: 29.3 m (96 ft 2 in)
  • Height: 8.58 m (28 ft 2 in)
  • Empty weight: 15,020 kg (33,113 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 24,000 kg (52,911 lb)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Progress AI-24VT Turboprop engines, 2,103 kW (2,820 hp) each
  • Powerplant: 1 × Tumansky Ru-19-A300 Turbojet booster / APU, 7.85 kN (1,760 lbf) thrust
  • Propellers: 4-bladed Constant speed metal bladed propellers

Performance

  • Cruise speed: 440 km/h (270 mph, 240 kn)
  • Range: 2,500 km (1,600 mi, 1,300 nmi) with maximum fuel
  • Range with max payload: 1,100 km (680 mi)
  • Service ceiling: 7,500 m (24,600 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 8 m/s (1,600 ft/min)

See also[edit]

  • Military transport aircraft

Related development

  • Antonov An-24
  • Antonov An-32
  • Xian Y7
  • Xian MA60

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

  • Aeritalia G.222
  • Transall C-160

Related lists

  • List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS

References[edit]

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  • Chant, Christopher. Commercial Aircraft and Airline Markings
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External links[edit]

  • Pictures of An-26 at Airliners.net
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20061023125914/http://www.antonov.com/about/an-26.xml
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20061103104838/http://www.aeronautics.ru/an26a.jpg
  • http://rus.air.ru/airplanes/images/An-26pict.htm
  • http://www.transportflieger.eu
  • http://www.luroko.de
  • Details of An-26 at EnglishRussia.com