Country

Crash of a Tupolev TU-154A near Malabo: 45 killed

Date & Time: Jun 1, 1976 at 0748 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-85102
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Luanda – Malabo – N’Djamena – Tripoli – Moscow
MSN:
75A102
YOM:
1975
Flight number:
SU418
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
35
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
45
Aircraft flight hours:
2119
Aircraft flight cycles:
1069
Circumstances:
While flying at an altitude of 4,200 metres from Luanda to Malabo, the crew received the last weather briefing for Malabo Airport and was cleared to descent for a landing on runway 05. ATC requested the crew to report once runway 05 in sight and the crew gave his ETA four minutes later at 0752LT. While approaching at an altitude of 750 metres and at a speed of 490 km/h, the airplane struck the south slope of Mt San Carlos located 48 km southwest of Malabo Airport. The wreckage was sighted by the pilot of the personal helicopter of the Equatorial Guinea President five days later, on June 6. SAR teams were dispatched and arrived on scene on June 18 only. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 45 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. ATC assistance was considered as good, all necessary information were transmitted to the crew and ATC was not the cause of the accident. The assumption that the aircraft radar was not operating at the time of the accident was not ruled out. Possible erroneous calculation on part of the crew may cause the aircraft to descent prematurely and to fly on the wrong path to runway 05. In consequence, the accident may be the result of a controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-154A off Beirut: 60 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1975 at 0240 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HA-LCI
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Budapest - Beirut
MSN:
74A053
YOM:
1974
Flight number:
MA240
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
50
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
60
Aircraft flight hours:
1186
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Budapest, the crew was cleared to descend to an altitude of 6,000 feet. By night, the airplane went out of control and crashed in unclear circumstances into the Mediterranean Sea about 10 km off Beirut. Debris were found floating on water and none of the 60 occupants survived. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were considered as good.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. At the time of the accident, the ILS system was out of service.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-154 in Cairo: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1974 at 1730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
SU-AXB
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Cairo - Cairo
MSN:
73A048
YOM:
1973
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training flight at Cairo-Intl Airport. After a training period of 3 hours and 14 minutes, the crew performed a low pass over runway 23 in a slight nose-up attitude. While initiating a climb, the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane that crashed in flames near the runway end. The aircraft was destroyed and all six crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Continual increase of pitching up attitude during overshoot which lead to the stalling of the aircraft at an insufficient height for recovery. Contributing were the inaccurate calculation of the CG position before takeoff and the possibility of movement of the ballast weight aft during flight.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-154 in Moscow

Date & Time: May 7, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-85030
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moscow - Moscow
MSN:
72A030
YOM:
1972
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training mission at Vnukovo Airport. Following four successful touch-and-go manoeuvres, the crew took off again. Just after liftoff, while at a height of 20 meters, the aircraft suffered severe vibrations and went unstable. Shortly later, while climbing to a height of 70 meters, both engines n°1 & 3 lost power simultaneously. The captain decided to make an emergency landing when the aircraft struck tree tops and crashed in flames in a wooded area. All four occupants were slightly injured while the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
It appears that a technical problem occurred with the slats which deployed in an inappropriate angle after rotation. Nevertheless, the cause of the power loss on two engine remains unknown.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-154 in Prague: 66 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1973 at 1006 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-85023
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moscow - Prague
MSN:
72A023
YOM:
1972
Flight number:
SU141
Region:
Crew on board:
13
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
87
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
66
Captain / Total flying hours:
12650
Captain / Total hours on type:
236.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
14650
Copilot / Total hours on type:
247
Aircraft flight hours:
459
Aircraft flight cycles:
261
Circumstances:
The aircraft took off at 0650 GMT on a scheduled flight Moscow - Prague. Over the territory of the USSR the flight proceeded at 10 000 m, and this altitude was increased over the Romanian People's Republic to 10 650 m. Over Warsaw the aircraft was cleared to descend to 9 400 m, and near the Czechoslovak frontier it was cleared again to 8 850. The frontier was crossed at 6 700 m, the crew complying with all instructions. At 0854 GMT the aircraft reported overhead OKX that it had descended from 7 200 m to 6 700 m. Prague ACC cleared it to continue descent to 2 450 m and tune to Rodnice (RCE) VOR. At 0856 GMT the aircraft was instructed to maintain a track which would keep it in the middle of the airway. At 0900 GMT the aircraft reported overhead Rodnice at 2 450 m and was instructed to change over to the approach frequency 121.4 MHz. The aircraft at once contacted approach control and was cleared to fly via MO until it intercepted the approach beacon, then to descend to 1 200 m and report when crossing 1 500 m. The crew complied with these instructions. At 0902 GMT the aircraft reported descending through 1 500 m on a 135O heading and was instructed to change over to the ATC radar frequency. On this frequency it was cleared to continue flying to the ILS approach beacon, was given priority to land on Runway 25 and instructed to descend to 500 m on QFE 730.1 mm. At 0904 GMT the aircraft was cleared to descend to 350 rn on QFE and was informed that it was 2 km off the course line. After 40 seconds the radar controller informed the aircraft that it was correctly aligned and 15 km from the aerodrome, and at 0905 GMT he instructed the aircraft to switch over to the TWR frequency. After changeover the aircraft reported to TWR that it was approaching to land. TWR cleared it to land on Runway 25 and reported a change in the wind direction and speed to 250' - 4 m/s. At 0906 GMT, at its own request, the aircraft was given runway braking coefficient 5 and again cleared to land. This data was acknowledged by the aircraft at 0906.30 GMT, and this was the last contact with it. The aircraft flew the correct heights and headings and did not report any defects or trouble on the ATC frequencies. The descent to land proceeded normally along the ILS glide path up to the vicinity of the "L" marker. Near this aid the aircraft suddenly ducked under the glide path, continued to descend at an average angle of 4.62° to the glide path and struck the ground with the nosewheel at a point 467 m before the threshold of Runway 25. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and was also destroyed by a post crash fire. Four stewardesses and 62 passengers were killed, 18 occupants were seriously injured and 16 were uninjured.
Probable cause:
Owing to the high degree of destruction and total disintegration of the aircraft in the crash and ensuing fire it was not possible to establish the precise cause of the accident. The influence of unexpected atmospheric turbulence during the aircraft's final approach cannot be entirely ruled out.
Final Report: