Passenger Plane Starts to Fall Apart Mid-Flight, Forcing Emergency Landing

A Rossiya Airlines passenger jet was forced to make an emergency landing after parts of the aircraft reportedly began falling off mid-flight, sparking alarm among passengers and triggering an official investigation.

The incident happened on Saturday, Nov. 15, when the plane — carrying 90 passengers from Vladivostok to Blagoveshchensk — diverted to Khabarovsk, according to updates from the Svodka25 Telegram channel and the Khabarovsk Transport Prosecutor’s Office.

Authorities said the aircraft landed safely around 9 a.m. local time after the crew reported a technical malfunction. But one passenger claimed the situation was far more dramatic. In a translated message shared on Svodka25, a traveler reported that the plane “suffered a skin tear” mid-air. A video posted to the channel appears to show part of the engine’s outer covering ripped away and missing entirely.

Emergency responders — including fire crews and an ambulance — were waiting on the runway as the plane arrived, though no injuries were reported.

Some shaken passengers reportedly refused to board another aircraft, while others waited for a replacement jet to arrive and continue the trip.

The Moscow Times reports that Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a preliminary probe into possible violations of air transport safety rules. Officials will review what caused the in-flight failure and determine whether criminal charges or regulatory actions are warranted.

This mishap comes as Russia’s aviation sector faces growing concerns about aging aircraft and shrinking access to replacement parts. According to UK outlet Metro, Federal Air Transport Agency chief Dmitry Yadrov recently warned that the country’s civil aviation fleet could lose a third of its planes and 200 helicopters by 2030, including potential losses of Sukhoi Superjets due to ongoing engine issues.

For the passengers on this flight, those concerns suddenly felt very real.