The Antonov An-26 (

NATO reporting name NATO uses a system of code names, called reporting names, to denote military aircraft and other equipment used by post-Soviet states, former Warsaw Pact countries, China, and other countries. The system assists military communications by providi ...

: Curl) is a twin-engined

turboprop A turboprop is a Gas turbine, gas turbine engine that drives an aircraft Propeller (aeronautics), propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction drive, reduction gearbox, gas compressor, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propellin ...

civilian and

military transport aircraft A military transport aircraft, military cargo aircraft or airlifter is a military aircraft, military-owned transport aircraft used to support military operations by airlifting troops and military equipment. Transport aircraft are crucial to m ...

, designed and produced in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

from 1969 to 1986.Gordon, Yefim. Komissarov, Dmitry & Sergey. "Antonov's Turboprop Twins". Hinkley. Midland. 2003. It is the third member of the Antonov An-24 family, coming after the An-24 and An-30, while preceding the An-32 and canceled An-132.

Development

While the An-24T tactical transport had proved successful in supporting Soviet troops in austere locations, its ventral loading hatch restricted the handling of cargo, and in particular vehicles, and made it less effective than hoped in parachuting men and supplies. As a result, interest in a version with a retractable cargo ramp increased, and the

Antonov Antonov (d/b/a Antonov Company, formerly the Aeronautical Scientific-Technical Complex named after Antonov or Antonov ASTC, and earlier the Antonov Design Bureau, for its chief designer, Oleg Antonov) is a Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing and ...

design bureau decided in 1966 to begin development on the new An-26 derivative, in advance of an official order. The cargo ramp was based on that design and allowed the cargo deck to be sealed and pressurised in flight. When loading cargo, it could either be lowered to allow vehicles to be driven in, or slid beneath the aircraft's fuselage, so that cargo could be loaded straight in off a truck bed. In March 1968, the OKB received official permission to begin development. Particular attention was given to the military mission, and the majority of early An-26 production was delivered to the VTA (voyenno-transportnaya aviatsiya). Using the majority of the An-24 airframe, it has high-set cantilevered wings, wing-mounted twin turboprops with a turbojet engine in the starboard nacelle for use as an

auxiliary power unit An auxiliary power unit (APU) is a device on a vehicle that provides energy for functions other than propulsion. They are commonly found on large aircraft and naval ships as well as some large land vehicles. Aircraft APUs generally produce 115&n ...

and also for extra take-off thrust, plus long main undercarriage legs. The An-26 includes military equipment, such as tip-up paratroop

canvas Canvas is an extremely durable Plain weave, plain-woven Cloth, fabric used for making sails, tents, Tent#Marquees and larger tents, marquees, backpacks, Shelter (building), shelters, as a Support (art), support for oil painting and for other ite ...

seats, an overhead traveling hoist, bulged observation windows and parachute static line attachment cables. It can be configured in 20-30 minutes from the troop transport or freight mission to the

medical evacuation Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to patients requiring evacuation or transport using medically equipped air ambulances, helicopters and ...

role with up to 24 stretchers fitted. The An-26 made its public debut at the 27th

Paris Air Show The Paris Air Show (, ''Salon du Bourget'') is a trade fair and air show held in odd years at Paris–Le Bourget Airport in France. Organized by the French aerospace industry's primary representative body, the ''Groupement des industries frança ...

Le Bourget Le Bourget () is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The commune features Le Bourget Airport, which in turn hosts the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (Air and Space Museum). A very ...

where the second prototype, CCCP-26184 (c/n00202), was shown in the static aircraft park. The An-26 is also manufactured without a license agreement in China by the Xian Aircraft factory as the Y-14, later changed to be included in the Xian Y7 series.

Total production

Operational history

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 The Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF; ), officially the Air Defence - Air Force Service (ADAF Service; ) or the Vietnam Air Force (), is the Aerial warfare, aerial, Anti-aircraft warfare, air and Space warfare, space defence service branch of ...

during the

Cambodian–Vietnamese War The Cambodian–Vietnamese War was an armed conflict between Democratic Kampuchea, controlled by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, and the Vietnam, Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It began in December 1978, with a Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia which to ...

and

Sudanese Air Force The Sudanese Air Force () is the air force, aerial warfare branch of the Military of Sudan, Sudanese Armed Forces. It was established in 1956 following Sudan's independence earlier that year, and first saw action in the First Sudanese Civil War. ...

during the

Second Sudanese Civil War The Second Sudanese Civil War was a conflict from 1983 to 2005 between the central Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement, Sudan People's Liberation Army. It was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil Wa ...

and the

War in Darfur The War in Darfur, also nicknamed the Land Cruiser War, was a major armed conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan that began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equalit ...

. Russian Forces have also trained with the An-26 as a bomber. In 1977, the Afghan Air Force received the An-26 aircraft and in 1986, they had 36 of them which were used for airborne assaults conducted by the

Afghan Army The Islamic National Army (, ), also referred to as the Islamic Emirate Army and the Afghan Army, is the land force branch of the Afghan Armed Forces. The roots of an army in Afghanistan can be traced back to the early 18th century when the Ho ...

's commando and parachute battalions and two military transport squadrons. One An-26 was involved in the Purulia Incident in 1995 in which arms were dropped in the Purulia district of

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The reason behind the drop is not disclosed to the public due to national security.

Variants

;An-26 :"Curl-A" : Twin-engine tactical transport aircraft. ;An-26-100 :Convertible passenger/cargo aircraft modified from An-26 aircraft at the Kyiv plant from 1999. ;An-26 ''Nel'mo'' :An arctic surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft retrofitted with ''Nel'mo'' equipment. ;An-26 ''Pogoda'' :("Weather") Another aircraft for weather control duties, similar to the An-26 ''Tsiklon'', with a simplified equipment test lab. ;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. ;An-26 ''Sfera'' :("Sphere") A single production aircraft built as a laboratory for atmospheric research. ;An-26 ''Shtabnoy'' :("Shtab" = "Headquarters") some An-26s delivered to the Soviet and DDR air forces for use as staff transports/mobile command posts. ; :("Life") A single mobile operating room, surgery and intensive care unit ('25 Blue', c/n5406), for the Ukrainian Air Force. ;An-26A :A one-off assault transport prototype with higher performance due to removal of some military equipment. ;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. ;An-26B :A civil cargo version equipped with ramps which can be swung up against the cabin walls when not in use. It was also equipped with two ZMDB Progress (Ivchyenko) Al-24VT

powerplants to deliver higher thrust. ;An-26B :The prototype An-26B retrofitted as a mobile civilian emergency hospital. ;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. ;An-26B-100 :Convertible passenger/cargo aircraft modified from An-26B aircraft at the Kyiv plant from 1999. ;An-26BL :Alternative designation for the An-26L. ;An-26BRL :Alternative designation of the An-26RL Arctic surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. ;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. ;An-26K ''Kaira'' :("Great Auk") A single An-26 aircraft converted to a Kaira test airframe for the development of airborne

Laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...

guided systems. ;An-26K ''Kaplya'' :("Drop" f 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. ;An-26KPA :(''Kontrol'no-Poverochnaya Apparatura'' – Testing and calibration equipment) : A navigation aids inspecting aircraft with comprehensive navigation equipment and calibration equipment. ;An-26L :A single An-26, (14 Orange, c/n 00607), used at Sperenberg Airfield near Berlin, for airfield and NAVAID calibration. ;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. ;An-26LP :Firefighting version. At least 9 converted. ;An-26M ''Spasatel'' :("Rescuer") Flying hospital with an emergency surgery facility. Two converted. ;An-26P :(''Protivopozharnyy'' – firefighting) : Aircraft fire-bomber, retrofitted with water tanks in pods on either side of the lower fuselage, which could be substituted for dispensers for

silver iodide Silver iodide is an inorganic compound with the formula Ag I. The compound is a bright yellow solid, but samples almost always contain impurities of metallic silver that give a grey colouration. The silver contamination arises because some samp ...

flares for rainmaking. At least 5 converted. ;An-26P ''Prozhektor'' :("Projector" or "Searchlight") A single conversion of an An-26 as a guided missile system airframe. ;An-26REP :(''Rahdioelektronnoye protivodeystviye'' – ECM (Electronic Counter-Measures) ) : 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. One built but did not enter service. ;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. ;An-26RR :Alternative unit designation of the An-26RT

ELINT Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is the act and field of intelligence-gathering by interception of ''signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly u ...

(ELectronic INTelligence) aircraft. ;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. ;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. 42 built. ;An-26RTR :Alternative unit designation of the An-26RT ELINT aircraft. ;An-26S :(''Salon'' – IPLounge) : A new VIP Lounge aircraft for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense delivered about 1997. ;An-26Sh :(''Shturmanskiy'' – Navigator) : Navigator trainer for the VVS, 36 built at Kyiv.

Non-USSR /-Ukrainian versions

;An-26SM :One aircraft modified as an ELINT aircraft for the East German Air Force. ;An-26M :One aircraft modified for NAVAID calibration and flight monitoring for the East German Air Force and transferred to the post-unification

German Air Force The German Air Force (, ) is the aerial warfare branch of the , the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force (as part of the ) was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War as the aerial warfare branch of the armed forces of West Ger ...

. ;An-26ST :East German designation for An-26s used as staff transports. ;An-26T :Unofficial East German designation for An-26s operated by Transportfliegerstaffel 24 (transport squadron 24). ;An-26Z-1 :Czechoslovak ELINT conversion of one aircraft for ELINT duties. ; Xian Y-7H :Military transport version. Chinese production version. ;Xian Y-14 :Initial designation of the An-26 copy, later changed to 'Y-7H' (''Hao'' – cargo).

Operators

Military operators

Russian Air Force Antonov An-26 Dvurekov

; * National Air Force of Angola – 22 An-26s bought between 1976 and 1987. One aircraft still operational as of December 2021. ; * Belarusian Air Force – three operated December 2016. ; * Cape Verde Army – 3 ; * Chad Air Force – three in service December 2016. ; * 23 Xian Y-7; 4 Xian Y-7-100; includes all types of Y-7 aircraft **

People's Liberation Army Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force, also referred to as the Chinese Air Force () or the People's Air Force (), is the primary aerial warfare service of the People's Liberation Army. The PLAAF controls most of the PLA's air assets, includi ...

People's Liberation Army Navy The People's Liberation Army Navy, also known as the People's Navy, PLA Navy or simply Chinese Navy, is the naval warfare military branch, branch of the People's Liberation Army, the national military of the People's Republic of China. It i ...

; * Cuban Air Force – operated 17, two in service December 2016. ; * Democratic Republic of the Congo Air Force – three in service as of 2021. ; *

Ethiopian Air Force The Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF) () is the air service branch of the Ethiopian National Defence Force. The ETAF is tasked with protecting the national air space, providing support to ground forces, as well as assisting civil operations during wa ...

– one ; * Ivory Coast Air Force – two in service as of 2021. ; *

Kazakh Air Force The Kazakh Air Defense Forces (, , ) is the aviation warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Their responsibilities include protecting Kazakh airspace, as well as combat missions in support of other branches of the arm ...

– five An-24 or An-26 in service December 2015.; Received one refurbished An-26 from Ukraine on 3 November 2017. ; * Kyrgyz Air Force – two donated from Russia in August 2017. ; * Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force – one in service December 2016. ; * Libyan Air Force – two An-24/An-26 as of December 2016. ; *

Moldovan Air Force The Moldovan Air Force (), known officially as Air Forces Command is the national air force of Moldova. It was formed following Moldova's independence from the Soviet Union in August 1991 and is part of the Moldovan National Army, National Army ...

– one as of December 2016. ; * Mozambique Air Force – one as of December 2016. ; * Namibian Air Force – one as of December 2016. ; * Nicaraguan Air Force – four as of February 2018. Three were donated by Russia in February 2025. ; * Puntland Maritime Police Force – one ; *

Romanian Air Force The Romanian Air Force (RoAF) () is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, five air bases, a logistics base, an air defense brigade, an air defense regiment and an ISR (Intel ...

– one as of 2023 ; *

Russian Aerospace Forces The Russian Aerospace Forces or Russian Air and Space Forces (VKS) comprise the air force, aerial, space force, space warfare, and Missile defense, missile defence Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It was ...

– 104 as of December 2016. *

Russian Naval Aviation The Russian Naval Aviation () is the air arm of the Russian Navy, a successor of Soviet Naval Aviation. The Russian Navy is divided into four fleets and one flotilla: Northern Fleet, Pacific Fleet (Russia), Pacific Fleet, Baltic Fleet, Black Sea ...

* Border Guard Service of Russia ; *

– six as of December 2016; at least one has been used as an improvised bomber ; *

Syrian Air Force The Syrian Air Force () is the air force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It was established in 1948, and first saw action in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Under Ba'athist Syria until December 8, 2024, it was known as the Syrian Arab Air Forc ...

– six as of 2023; ; * Ukrainian Naval Aviation – two as of December 2016 in the service of 10th Naval Aviation Brigade *

Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force (, PS ZSU) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the eight Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (ZSU). Its current form was created in 2004 by merging the Ukrainian Air Defence Forces into the Air Fo ...

– around 22 as of 2017 * Ukrainian Air Guard ; * Uzbek Air Force – four as of December 2016 ; * Yemen Air Force – six

Former military operators

; * Afghan Air Force – Used until 1977, all remaining aircraft retired June 2011. One of their An-26 which defected to Pakistan, is preserved at PAF Museum,

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

. ; *

Bangladesh Air Force The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) () is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The air force is primarily responsible for air defence of Bangladesh's sovereign territory as well as providing air support to the Bangladesh Army a ...

; * Benin Air Force – two ; * Bulgarian Air Force – five used from 1984 until 2011 ; * Royal Cambodian Air Force ; * Congolese Air Force – one ; *

Czechoslovak Air Force The Czechoslovak Air Force (''Československé letectvo'') or the Czechoslovak Army Air Force (''Československé vojenské letectvo'') was the air force branch of the Czechoslovak Army formed in October 1918. The armed forces of Czechoslovakia c ...

; * East German Air Force ; *

Hungarian Air Force Antonov An-26 departs RIAT 14thJuly2014 arp

; * Guinea-Bissau Air Force ; * Hungarian Air Force – 11 delivered from 1974, last one retired June 2020. ; *

Iraqi Air Force The Iraqi Air Force (IQAF; ) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It is responsible for the defense of Iraqi airspace as well as the policing of its international borders. The IQAF also acts as a support force for t ...

; * Lithuanian Air Force – three operated ; * Malagasy Air Force - two delivered in 1980 ; * Malian Air Force - one ; * Mongolian Air Defense Forces Command – four ; * Niger Air Force – one, bought from Libya in 1997 ; * Yemen Arab Republic Air Force - one ; * Pakistani Air Force ; *

Peruvian Air Force The Peruvian Air Force (, FAP) is the branch of the Peruvian Military of Peru, Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of aerial warfare, air power. Additional missions include assistance in safeguarding i ...

– 22 operated from 1977 to 1993 Polish AN-26

; *

Polish Air Force The Polish Air Force () is the aerial warfare Military branch, branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 26,000 military personnel an ...

– 12 operated from 1972 to January 2009; retired An-26-slovak-3208

; *

Slovak Air Force The Slovak Air Force, known since 2002 as the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic (), is the aviation and air defense branch of the Military of Slovakia, Slovak Armed Forces. Operating 15 aircraft and 18 helicopters fro ...

– Two, retired in 2016, to be replaced by

Alenia C-27J Spartan The Alenia C-27J Spartan is a military transport aircraft developed and manufactured by Leonardo's Aircraft Division (formerly Alenia Aermacchi until 2016). It is an advanced derivative of the former Alenia Aeronautica's earlier G.222 (C-27 ...

aircraft beginning in 2017. ; * Somali Air Corps ; * People's Democratic Republic of Yemen Air Force - three bought in 1979 ; * Serbian Air Force – one retired in 2023 ; *

Soviet Air Force The Soviet Air Forces (, VVS SSSR; literally "Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics"; initialism VVS, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Sovie ...

– Passed on to successor states in 1991 *

Soviet Naval Aviation Soviet Naval Aviation (AV-MF, ) was the naval aviation arm of the Soviet Navy. Origins The first naval aviation units in Russia were formed in 1912–1914 as a part of the Baltic Fleet and the Black Sea Fleet. During World War I, the hydro ...

– ; * Tanzanian Air Force – none; retired ; *

Armed Forces of Transnistria The Armed Forces of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic; ; are the military forces of Transnistria, a self-proclaimed and internationally International recognition of Transnistria, unrecognized breakaway state located within the internationa ...

; * Military of Turkmenistan – ten ; *

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

– Operated 2003–2007 by the 6th Special Operations Squadron *

; *

Yugoslav Air Force The Air Force and Air Defence ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Ратно ваздухопловство и противваздушна одбрана, Ratno vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazdušna odbrana ; abbr. sh-Cyrl-Latn, label=none, separator=/, РВ и ПВ� ...

– 14 ; * Zambian Air Force and Air Defense Command – four

Civil operators

Polar Airlines Antonov An-26-100 Sibille

; * Genex (two) ; * Air Bright (one) ; * Sadelca (one) * Servicio Aéreo del Vaupés SELVA (three) ; * Aerogaviota (three) ; * SAS Cargo Group (one) ; * CityLine Hungary (four) ; * RAF-Avia (five) ; * Valan International Cargo Charter ; * Aero Condor (one) * Amazon Sky (two) * ATSA (one) * Cielos Andinos (two) ; * Interisland Airlines * Mosphil Aero ; * Exin (six) ; * Angara Airlines (three) * Chukotavia (three) *

IrAero IrAero is an airline based in Irkutsk, Russia. It operates domestic and international scheduled passenger services, charter and cargo flights. Its main base is in Irkutsk Airport. It is currently banned from flying into EU airspace along with all ...

(ten) * Khabarovsk Airlines (three) * Kostroma Air Enterprise (four) * KrasAvia (four) * Polar Airlines (three) ; *

Badr Airlines Badr Airlines, formerly Sarit Airlines (from 1997 to 2004), is an airline based in Khartoum, Sudan, operating cargo and passenger air services for humanitarian aid missions and chartered VIP flights. Its main base is Khartoum International Airp ...

(one) ; * Tajik Air (one) ; * Air Urga (ten) *

Antonov Airlines Antonov Airlines is a Ukraine, Ukrainian cargo airline, a division of the Antonov, Antonov aviation company. It operates international charter services in the oversized-cargo market. Its main base is Hostomel Airport near Kyiv. In the aftermath ...

(former) * ARP 410 Airlines (five) * Constanta Airline (four) * Eleron Airlines (two) * Vulkan Air (three) ; * Solar Cargo (two) *note: Lithuania was not a CIS country.

Accidents and incidents

1970s

* 23 May 1976: An Aeroflot An-26 (CCCP-26567) crashed short of the runway near Teply Klyuch Airport,

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. * 14 July 1977: A National Air Force of Angola An-26 was shot down by

UNITA The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (, abbr. UNITA) is the second-largest political party in Angola. Founded in 1966, UNITA fought alongside the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Liberat ...

rebels near Cuangar, killing 30 people on board. * 18 August 1977: An Aeroflot An-26 (CCCP-26536) landed hard at Ust-Kuyga Airport due to pilot error; no casualties. * 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. * 26 March 1979: Aeroflot Flight 37293, an An-26 (CCCP-26569), struck a wooded hillside near Baykit, Russia, killing four of 12 on board.

1980s

* 12 December 1980: A

Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces (, VVS SSSR; literally "Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics"; initialism VVS, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Sovie ...

An-26 was shot down by guerrilla forces in

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

near the border with

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

, killing five people on board. * 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. * 14 January 1982: An

An-26 crashed near

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...

, killing 73 Ethiopian, Libyan and Cuban troops. This accident remains the deadliest involving the An-26. * 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. * 15 March 1982: A

Soviet Navy The Soviet Navy was the naval warfare Military, uniform service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy made up a large part of the Soviet Union's strategic planning in the event of a conflict with t ...

An-26 (MSN 6805) crashed shortly after a night-time take off from

Anapa Airport Anapa Airport () , also known as Vityazevo Airport () is an international airport located near Vityazevo, Krasnodar Krai, Vityazevo village in Anapa, Russia. It serves the resort town of Anapa, as well as Novorossiysk and Temryuk with a total p ...

when the flaps were retracted prematurely, killing all nine people on board. * 29 November 1982: a TAAG Angola Airlines An-26 (D2-TAB) flew into a mountain in the

Bibala Bibala (known as Vila Arriaga until 1975) is a town, with a population of 10,500 (2014), and a municipality in southern Angola. It lies in Namibe Province. The municipality of Bibala covers with a population of 64,504 (2014). It is bordered to t ...

region, killing all 15 people on board. * 23 December 1982: An Aeroflot An-26 (CCCP-26627) crashed on takeoff from Rostov Airport, killing all 16 on board. The aircraft was overloaded. * 6 May 1983: a

An-26 hit trees on a night-time approach in heavy snow as it was trying to land at Klyuchi, Klyuchevsky District, Altai Krai, killing 33 of the 37 people on board. * 3 July 1984: A

An-26 (FAP-377) crashed into mountains northeast of

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

, killing all five people on board. * 22 January 1985: a

An-26 operating in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

exceeded the maximum allowable speed and broke apart, killing all eight people on board. * 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 Kandahar is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city, after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118 in 2015. It is the capital of Kandahar Pro ...

, 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. * 6 December 1986: a Hungarian Air Force An-26 (MSN 2210) crashed after take-off from Budapest-Ferihegy Airport, most likely because of icing. Four of the five people on board were killed. * 9 February 1987: an Afghan Air Force An-26 was shot down by

Mujahideen ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' (), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' (), an Arabic term that broadly refers to people who engage in ''jihad'' (), interpreted in a jurisprudence of Islam as the fight on behalf of God, religion or the commun ...

guerrillas shortly after takeoff from Kabul International Airport, killing all 36 people on board. * 19 February 1987: a

An-26 crashed in fog near Stadnitsa while attempting to land at

Vinnytsia Vinnytsia ( ; , ) is a city in west-central Ukraine, located on the banks of the Southern Bug. It serves as the administrative centre, administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast. It is the largest city in the historic region of Podillia. It also s ...

, killing all nine people on board. * 6 March 1987: an

Aeroflot PJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines (, ), commonly known as Aeroflot ( or ; , , ), is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Russia. Aeroflot is headquartered in the Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow, with its hub being Sheremetyevo Interna ...

An-26 (CCCP-26007) struck a mountain near

Almaty Almaty, formerly Alma-Ata, is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains ...

after failing to change heading, killing all nine people on board. * 11 June 1987: a Bakhtar Afghan Airlines An-25 (YA-BAL) was shot down by rebels near

Khost Khōst () is the capital of Khost Province in Afghanistan. It is the largest city in the southeastern part of the country, and also the largest in the region of Loya Paktia. To the south and east of Khost lie Waziristan and Kurram Agency, Kurram i ...

, killing 53 of the 55 people on board. * 18 June 1987: a

An-26 (FAP-392) crashed into a mountain near Saposoa, killing all 46 people on board. * 13 August 1987: an Afghan Air Force An-26 was reportedly shot down, killing all 12 on board. * 1 September 1987: an Afghan Air Force An-26 was shot down near

, killing all right people on board. * 13 September 1987: a

An-26 was shot down by

rebels near

Kunduz Kunduz (; ; ) is a city in northern Afghanistan and the capital of Kunduz Province. The city has an estimated population of about 268,893 as of 2015, making it about the List of cities in Afghanistan, seventh largest city of Afghanistan, and the ...

, killing all 15 people on board. * 16 September 1987:

An-26 ''285'' flying from

Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...

Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

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. * 22 October 1987: a

An-26 was shot down near Jalalabad Airport, killing all eight people on board. * 21 December 1987: A

An-26 flying from

Kabul Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province. The city is divided for administration into #Districts, 22 municipal districts. A ...

Bagram Bagram (; Pashto/) is a town and seat in Bagram District in Parwan Province of Afghanistan, about 60 kilometers north of the capital Kabul. It is the site of an ancient city located at the junction of the Ghorband and Panjshir Valley, near t ...

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. * 10 April 1988: an Afghan Air Force An-26 was shot down near Maymana, killing all 29 people on board. * 20 April 1988: a

An-26 (MSN 11808) crashed shortly after takeoff from Chkalovsky Air Base when the right engine failed, killing all six people on board. * 27 April 1988: a Cuban Air Force An-26 ''T-237'' was accidentally shot down by Cuban troops stationed at Techamutete, Angola, killing all 29 people on board. * 24 June 1988: a

An-26 was shot down by

rebels after take off from Kabul International Airport, killing all five people on board. * 19 November 1988: an Afghan Air Force An-26 was shot down by the

Pakistan Air Force The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) (; ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when re ...

near

Parachinar Parachinar (; ) is a city and the capital of the Kurram District in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Parachinar is situated on the west of Peshawar, that juts into the Paktia, Logar and Nangarhar provinces of Afghanistan. With ...

, killing all 30 people on board. Afghan officials said the plane had crossed the border after suffering mechanical problems while Pakistani officials said it had failed to identify itself. * 10 December 1988: an Ariana Afghan Airlines An-26 was shot down over Pakistan by the

, killing all 25 people on board. * 10 March 1989: a National Air Force of Angola An-26 crashed at Cazombo, killing all five people on board. * 18 June 1989: an Ariana Afghan Airlines An-26 (YA-BAK) crash landed on a hill near Zabol after the ramp was opened in flight, killing six of the 39 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. * 23 July 1989: a National Air Force of Angola An-26 was shot down by

rebels near Chana, killing 42 of the 48 people on board. * 8 September 1989: a Cuban Air and Air Defense Force An-26 (MSN 3805) crashed into the sea near Playa de Baracoa during a nighttime exercise, killing seven of the eight people on board. * 26 October 1989: a

An-26 flew into a mountain in bad weather near

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (, ) is a city and the administrative center of Kamchatka Krai, Russia. It is located in the Far East of the country and lies along the coast of Avacha Bay by the Pacific Ocean, nearby Khalaktyrskoye Lake. As of the 202 ...

, killing all 37 people on board.

1990s

* 1990s: Soviet Air Force An-26 ''01 red'' burned out on the ground at Orenburg Air Base following an APU fire. * 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. * 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. * 5 May 1990: a

An-26 crashed near Sparfayev island while on a flight from

Magadan Magadan ( rus, Магадан, p=məɡɐˈdan) is a Port of Magadan, port types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative centre of Magadan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the isthmus of the Staritsky Peninsula by the ...

, killing all seven people on board. * 22 February 1991: a National Air Force of Angola An-26 was shot down near Cazombo Airport, killing all 47 people on board. * 15 August 1991: due to an air traffic controller's mistaken direction a

An-26 hit a mountain after take-off from

Burevestnik Airport Burevestnik (also Iturup; , ''Tennei-hikōjō'') is a military air base on Iturup Island, Russia, establishing Soviet/Russian presence on the disputed South Kuril Islands with the largest airfield in the region. It is also the former Soviet Unio ...

, killing all nine people on board. * 27 February 1992:

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. * 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. * 26 December 1993: A Kuban Airlines An-26 (RA-26141) operating as Flight 5719 stalled and crashed upside down while landing at Leninakan Airport due to overloading, killing 35 of 36 on board. * 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. * 16 January 1995: An Angolan Air Force An-26 was downed by rebel forces in the north of the country, killing all six occupants. * 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. * 31 August 1995: a Malian Air Force An-26 (TZ-347) flew into a mountain near

Thessaloniki Airport Thessaloniki Airport , officially Thessaloniki Airport "Makedonia" () and formerly Mikra Airport, is an international airport serving Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece. It is located southeast of the city, in Thermi. The airpo ...

in bad weather, killing all six people 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. * 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) 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.

2000s

* 30 March 2000: an An-26 chartered from Ukrainian company Avialinii AAR crashed near Anuradhapura Airport while carrying

Sri Lanka Army The Sri Lanka Army (; ) is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. The army was officially established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, though the army traces its roots back in 1881 when Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers was created; ...

troops, killing all 40 on board. The cause of the accident is unclear. * 12 August 2000: a STAER airlines An-26 crashed near Tshikapa while trying to return to Kinshasa Airport, killing all 27 on board. * 31 October 2000: an ACA-Ancargo An-26 (D2-FDI) crashed 20 minutes after take-off from Saurimo Airport, killing all 49 people on board.

rebels say they shot it down. * 4 April 2001: a

An-26 crashed on take-off in a sandstorm from Adar Yel, killing the deputy defence minister and 13 high-ranking officers. Another 16 passengers survived. * 21 February 2002: a

Russian Navy The Russian Navy is the Navy, naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. It has existed in various forms since 1696. Its present iteration was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the Commonwealth of Independent States (which had i ...

An-26 crashed after striking treetops while on final approach to Lakhta air base, killing 17 of the 20 people on board. * 29 November 2003: a 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 May 2005: a chartered Aeroworld An-26 (EK-26060) crashed shortly after take-off from Kisangani Bangoka International Airport, killing 10 of the 11 people on board. * 9 August 2005: a Yemeni Air Force An-26 crashed in

Mukalla Mukalla, officially the Mukalla City District, is a seaport and the capital city district of Yemen's largest governorate, Hadhramaut Governorate, Hadhramaut. The city is in the South Arabia, southern part of the Arabian Peninsula on the Gulf of A ...

, killing one of its occupants and injuring 22 others. * 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. * 9 September 2005: An Air Kasai An-26B (9Q-CFD) operating on a non-scheduled passenger flight crashed 50 km (31 miles) north of

Brazzaville Brazzaville () is the capital (political), capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo. Administratively, it is a Departments of the Republic of the Congo, department and a Communes of the Republic of the Congo, commune. Constituting t ...

, killing all 13 people on board. * 11 February 2006: a

An-26 crashed into a building upon landing at Aweil, South Sudan after the front tyre burst, killing all 20 people on board. * 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 Kinshasa (; ; ), formerly named Léopoldville from 1881–1966 (), is the Capital city, capital and Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-grow ...

neighbourhood of Kimbaseke just after

takeoff Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle leaves the ground and becomes airborne. For aircraft traveling vertically, this is known as liftoff. For aircraft that take off horizontally, this usually involves starting with a tr ...

. 21 out of 22 people on board and 28 people on the ground died. Initial reports indicate a lost propeller. * 8 April 2008: A

An-26 crashed in a field in the Thanh Trì district, killing all five on board.

2010s

* 18 March 2010: An Exin An-26B (SP-FDO) made an emergency landing on the

Lake Ülemiste Lake Ülemiste () is the largest of the lakes surrounding Tallinn, Estonia. Ülemiste is the main part of the Tallinn water supply system, which supplies the city with most of its drinking water. The lake is fed mostly by Kurna stream and the P ...

, close to

Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport Tallinn Airport () is the largest international airport in Estonia. The airport is also officially called Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport (') after the former president of Estonia Lennart Meri. The airport is located southeast of the city centre ...

. None of the six crew members was injured. Initial reports indicated failure of one of the turboprop power plants. * 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. The airplane skidded to a stop on its belly, no injuries occurred. * 6 June 2011:

Solenta Aviation Solenta Aviation is an airline based in Johannesburg, South Africa, with its maintenance base at OR Tambo International Airport. The company was founded in 2000 and operates cargo flights on regional routes throughout the Sub-Saharan Africa on b ...

Flight 122A, an An-26 (TR-LII), crashed in the sea near

Libreville Libreville (; ) is the capital and largest city of Gabon, located on the Gabon Estuary. Libreville occupies of the northwestern province of Estuaire Province, Estuaire. Libreville is also a port on the Gabon Estuary, near the Gulf of Guinea. A ...

, 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. * 24 November 2011: A Yemeni Air Force An-26 crashed outside

Sanaa Sanaa, officially the Sanaa Municipality, is the ''de jure'' capital and largest city of Yemen. The city is the capital of the Sanaa Governorate, but is not part of the governorate, as it forms a separate administrative unit. At an elevation ...

due to technical problems. 15 crew members and passengers died. * 21 November 2012: a Yemeni Air Force An-26 crashed close to Sanaa International Airport, killing all 10 people on board. * 19 August 2012: An Alfa Airlines An-26-100 (ST-ARL)

struck Struck is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Adolf Struck Adolf Hermann Struck (1877–1911) was a German sightseer and writer. He is known for his Travel literature, travelogue ''Makedonische Fahrten'' and for surveying the ...

a mountain during its second approach to the Talodi airfield in

South Kordofan South Kordofan ( ') is one of the 18 States of Sudan, wilayat or states of Sudan. It has an area of 158,355 km2 and an estimated population of approximately 2,107,623 people (2018 est). Kaduqli is the capital of the state. It is centered on t ...

, Sudan. All 26 passengers on board and six crew members died. * 17 December 2012: A Amazon Sky An-2, OB-1887-P crashed in mountains terrain caused icing, killing all 4 on board. * 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. * 14 July 2014: Ukraine Air Force An-26 ''19 blue'' flying at was shot down and crashed near Izvaryne, Ukraine, killing two of six on board. (confirmed to be shot using

Buk missile system The Buk (; "beech" (tree), ) is a family of self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon, self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile systems developed by the Soviet Union and its successor state, the Russian Federation, and designed to counter ...

). U.S. officials would later say evidence suggested the aircraft had been fired on from inside Russian territory Peter Baker (18 July 2014)
U.S. Sees Evidence of Russian Links to Jet's Downing
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' * 18 January 2015:

An-26 ''YK-AND'' crashed while attempting to land at the besieged Abu al-Duhur military airport in

Idlib Governorate Idlib Governorate ( / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Idlib'') is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in northwestern Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay province to the north, Aleppo Governorate to the east, Hama Governorate to the sou ...

, Syria, killing all 30 on board. * 9 March 2016: A True Aviation An-26B (S2-AGZ) crashed into the

Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region. Many South Asian and Southe ...

near

Cox's Bazar Cox's Bazar (; ; ) is a city, fishing port, tourism centre, and Cox's Bazar District, district headquarters in south-eastern Bangladesh. Cox's Bazar Beach, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bangladesh, is the longest uninterrupte ...

while attempting to return to Cox's Bazar Airport following an engine failure, killing three of four on board. * 30 April 2016: A Sudan Air Force An-26 crashed during a landing attempt at Al-Ubayyid. All five crew members died. * 20 March 2017: A South Supreme Airlines An-26B (S9-TLZ) was destroyed by fire at Wau Airport, South Sudan, after crashing into a fire truck during landing; 37 of the 45 on board the aircraft were injured. * 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. * 30 May 2017: Russian Aerospace Forces An-26 ''RF-36160'' crashed at Balashov Airfield during a training flight after descending too soon, killing one of six on board. * 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. * 14 October 2017: A Valan Air An-26 (ER-AVB) chartered by the French Military crashed shortly before landing at

Abidjan Abidjan ( , ; N'Ko script, N'ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the largest city and the former capital of Ivory Coast. As of the Demographics of Ivory Coast, 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of the overall population ...

, the

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...

capital. Four people were killed and six were injured. * 6 March 2018: Russian Aerospace Forces An-26 ''RF-92955'' crashed at Khmeimim Air Base. All 33 passengers and six crew died in the incident. * 20 December 2018: A Gomair An-26 (9S-AGB) crashed 19 nautical miles short of

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). * 24 December 2018: Congolese Air Force An-26 ''9T-TAB'' crashed as it overshot the runway at Beni Airport in

North Kivu North Kivu () is a Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital city is Goma. Spanning approximately 59,483 square kilometers with a population esti ...

province. The aircraft was reportedly transporting troops, and the crash resulted in 38 people being taken to hospital.

2020s

* 22 August 2020: A South West Aviation An-26 (EX-126) lost power during take-off at

Juba Airport Juba is the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and also serves as the capital of the Central Equatoria State. It is the most recently declared national capital and had a population of 525,953 in 20 ...

and crashed into Hai Referendum residential area on the outskirts of the airport. Eight of the nine occupants on board killed alongside nine on the ground. * 25 September 2020: Ukraine Air Force An-26 ''76 yellow'' with cadets of the

Ivan Kozhedub National Air Force University The Ivan Kozhedub Kharkiv National Air Force University ( KNAFU, ) is a state university administered by the Ministry of Defence (Ukraine), Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and is located in the city of Kharkiv. The university is named in honor of ...

crashed and immediately caught fire in

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

Kharkiv Oblast Kharkiv Oblast (, ), also referred to as Kharkivshchyna (), is an oblast (province) in eastern Ukraine. Kharkiv borders Luhansk Oblast to the east, Donetsk Oblast to the southeast, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast to the southwest, Poltava Oblast to the w ...

. There were 27 people on board; 25 were killed immediately and one died in hospital; the sole survivor was seriously injured.PLANE FALL IN KHARKIV REGION: TWENTY PEOPLE KILLED

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' is a Ukrainian socio-political online media outlet founded by Heorhii Gongadze in April 2000. After Gongadze’s death in September 2000, the editorial team was led by co-founder Olena Prytula, who remained the editor-in ...

(25 September 2020) * 13 March 2021: A Kazakh Border Guards An-26 crashed short of the runway while attempting to land at

Almaty Airport Almaty International Airport is an international airport in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It is larger than Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport (NQZ) in Astana and is the main international gateway into the country. It is a principal hub of Air ...

killing four of the six occupants on board. * 6 July 2021: A Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air An-26, crashed on a cliff in the vicinity of Palana, killing all 22 passengers and six crew members. Most of the debris slid down into the Okhotsk Sea. * 22 September 2021: a technical flight that disappeared from flight radars 38 km from

Khabarovsk Khabarovsk ( ) is the largest city and the administrative centre of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia,Law #109 located from the China–Russia border, at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, about north of Vladivostok. As of the 2021 Russian c ...

crashed, killing all six members of the crew. * 2 November 2021: Optimum Aviation Antonov An-26, registered as TR-NGT, crashed near the

White Nile The White Nile ( ') is a river in Africa, the minor of the two main tributaries of the Nile, the larger being the Blue Nile. The name "White" comes from the clay sediment carried in the water that changes the water to a pale color. In the stri ...

just after take-off from Juba International Airport, South Sudan. All five crew were killed. *24 February 2022:

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

An-26 ''59 blue'' was shot down near Zhukivtsi by Russian fire. Five of the fourteen people on board were killed. *24 February 2022:

An-26 ''RF-36074'' crashed near Voronezh. All crew reported dead. *27 February 2022: An Antonov Airlines An-26-100 (UR-13395) was confirmed to be destroyed in Hostomel, Kyiv during the attack. *22 April 2022: A Constanta Airlines An-26B-100 (UR-UZB) crashed after it struck power lines over Mykhailivka in the

Zaporizhzhia Oblast Zaporizhzhia Oblast (), commonly referred to as Zaporizhzhia (), is an oblast (region) in south-east Ukraine. Its administrative centre is the city of Zaporizhzhia. The oblast covers an area of , and has a population of The oblast is an import ...

, killing one of three crew. *14 June 2024: Utair Flight 9706, an Antonov An-26-100, crash-landed 1 km from Utrenny Airport in bad weather injuring 3 of the 41 on board. *25 February 2025: A

Antonov An-26 crashed in a residential area shortly after take off from Wadi Seidna Air Base. All 17 people on board were killed, as well as 29 people on the ground.

Aircraft on display

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

** 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 *

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

** An-26, tail number "1509" is exhibited in the

Polish Aviation Museum The Polish Aviation Museum () is a large museum of historic aircraft and aircraft engines in Kraków, Poland. It is located at the site of the no-longer functional Kraków-Rakowice-Czyżyny Airport. This airfield, established by Austr ...

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

*An-26, tail number "1602" is exhibited in the Polish Army Museum in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

. *

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

** An-26B, civilian tail number "16444", military tail number "06", former Aeroflot, from 1991 - Lithuanian Airlines, afterwards - Lithuanian Air Force, exhibited at

Lithuanian Aviation Museum The Lithuanian Aviation Museum () is located in Kaunas, Lithuania. The museum was officially opened in 1983. The permanent collection of the museum contains more than 18 000 displays of different fields of technology. The major part of the collecti ...

, S. Darius and S. Girėnas (Aleksotas) airfield (EYKS),

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

. *

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

** A2-26, Afghan Air Force, is exhibited at PAF Museum, Karachi *

** An-26 is displayed in Balashov town ** An-26, tail number RA-26610, is displayed in place of former Nadezhda airport, in

Norilsk Norilsk ( rus, Нори́льск, p=nɐˈrʲilʲsk) is a closed city in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located south of the western Taymyr Peninsula, around 90 km east of the Yenisei, Yenisey River and 1,500 km north of Krasnoyarsk. Norilsk is 300 ...

. ** An-26, tail number CCCP-26608, is displayed at the entrance to Salekhard airport (SLY / USDD). *

** An-26, tail number UR-26194, is exhibited on the street side at Prospekt Komarova 1, in front of National Aviation University in

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

Specifications

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Chant, Christopher. ''Commercial Aircraft and Airline Markings'' * * * * * * * *

External links

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
{{Authority control AN-026 Antonov AN-026 Antonov AN-026 High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1969 Twin-turboprop tractor aircraft Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear