Yakovlev Yak-40

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-87930

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lebap Province (Lebap welaýaty)

Schedule:

Ashkhabad - Chardzhou

MSN:

9 74 01 56

YOM:

1977

Location:

Chardzhou

Country:

Turkmenistan

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Chardzhou Airport, at an altitude of 30-40 meters, the airplane banked left then lost height and crashed onto several datchas located in the approach path. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair but all 35 occupants survived. The flight engineer was injured. There were no injuries on the ground.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the loss of control on short final was the consequence of wake turbulences caused by a Mil-Mi 6 helicopter that was preceding the Yak-40. Investigations revealed that the controller in charge of approaches failed to respect the minimum separation between the helicopter and the Yak-40. Poor organization of ATC in Turkmenistan was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Sverdlovsk: 38 killed

Date & Time: Oct 7, 1978 at 1952 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-87437

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Sverdlovsk - Kostanay - Dzhambul

MSN:

9 43 13 35

YOM:

1974

Flight number:

SU1080

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

6291

Aircraft flight cycles:

5110

Circumstances:

Less than a minute after liftoff, while climbing in marginal weather conditions, the left engine failed. The captain informed ATC about the situation and was cleared to return for an emergency landing. Unable to gain height, the airplane struck trees at a speed of 210 km/h and crashed in a wooded area located on a hilly terrain about 7,5 km from the airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 38 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the left engine failed slightly less than a minute after rotation due to icing. For unknown reasons, the crew failed to follow the pre-takeoff checklist and did not activate the engine deicing systems despite the fact that icing conditions were reported in altitude. During climb, the left engine failed while both engines n°2 and 3 did not provide sufficient power. Also, it was determined that the total weight of the aircraft was 419 kg above MTOW while its speed at the time the left engine failed was insufficient, also because the landing gear were not completely raised.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Tbilisi

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1978

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-87544

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Tbilisi-Shota-Rustaveli (ex Novo Alekseyevka)

Schedule:

Ulyanovsk - Volgograd - Tbilisi

MSN:

9 53 09 42

YOM:

1975

Location:

Tbilisi City District

Country:

Georgia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On the leg from Volgograd to Tbilisi, while flying by night, both primary and emergency hydraulic systems failed. Only the nose gear could be lowered while stabilizers and flaps remained in neutral position. The aircraft landed on its belly at a speed of 250 km/h and the nose gear touched down 1,264 meters past the runway threshold. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran at a speed of 165 km/h, struck the localizer antenna, a concrete wall and came to rest in a ravine, broken in three. All 30 occupants were injured, three of them seriously.

Probable cause:

Failure of both primary and emergency hydraulic systems in flight after some water that mistakenly leaked in a tank due to a seal problems froze.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Aldan

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1978 at 0652 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-87911

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)

Schedule:

Aldan - Yakutsk

MSN:

9 73 18 54

YOM:

1977

Flight number:

SU401

Location:

Aldan

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

422

Aircraft flight cycles:

301

Circumstances:

After a normal takeoff roll, the rotation was initiated at a speed of 178 km/h. During initial climb, the right wing dropped to an angle of 30°. Correction was attempted by ailerons but the airplane continued to descend, struck a 1,5 meter high snow wall and crash landed in a snow covered field. It lost its undercarriage and came to rest. All 12 passengers escaped uninjured while five crew members were slightly injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident and the reason of the right wing drop could not be established and identified. The takeoff speed was correct.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Genoa

Date & Time: May 28, 1977

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

I-JAKE

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

9 14 14 18

YOM:

1971

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Upon touchdown at Genoa-Cristofo Colombo Airport, the airplane struck the runway surface with its left wing. Out of control, it continued to roll then overran and plunged into the sea. All four crew members were injured while the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Zhdanov: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1977 at 0839 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-87738

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Dnepropetrovsk - Zhdanov

MSN:

9 01 03 10

YOM:

1970

Flight number:

SU925N

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

5894

Aircraft flight cycles:

6777

Circumstances:

On approach to Zhdanov Airport, while descending between the outer marker and the inner marker, the pilot-in-command decided to continue under VFR mode while the SP-50 ILS system was not yet activated. While approaching the inner marker, the three engine airplane entered an area of fog when visual contact was lost. At an insufficient height, the airplane struck a 9-meter high concrete pole with its right wing that was partially torn off. The aircraft caught fire, rolled to the right at an angle of 90° then crashed 420 meters further. The wreckage was found 610 meters short of runway threshold and 140 meters to the right of its extended centerline. Three crew members and five passengers were killed while 20 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The pilot-in-command decided to continue the approach below the glide under VFR mode in IMC conditions.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Ust-Kut: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1976 at 1940 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-88208

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Ust-Kut - Kirensk

MSN:

9 63 13 49

YOM:

1976

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

327

Aircraft flight cycles:

348

Circumstances:

The aircraft was engaged in a cargo flight from Ust-Kut to Kirensk, carrying a crew of three, two technicians of the company and two people in charge of the 1,200 kg of cargo. The crew failed to prepare the flight properly, expedited taxi and departure. The airplane took off from runway 30 at a speed of 155 km/h and with an angle of attack of 15°. After rotation, while in initial climb at a height of 120 metres at a speed of 210 km/h, the pilot raised the flaps when the airplane lost height and descended until it struck trees and crashed in flames 1,500 metres past the runway end. The copilot was seriously injured while all six other occupants were killed. Few hours later, the copilot died from his injuries.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew precipitated the takeoff procedure and failed to follow the pre-departure checklist. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Poor flight preparation,
- The cabin was not heated prior to departure,
- The left altimeter was erroneously set with a value 10 mm Hg higher than prescribed (wrong altimeter setting),
- Stabilizers were set at -6° instead of the required -3,6° angle,
- The rotation was completed prematurely,
- During initial climb, flaps were raised at a speed of 210-220 km/h, 20 km/h below the speed mentioned in the Flight Manual,
- Lack of visibility,
- Lack of ground visual references.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 near Zaporozhie: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1976 at 1308 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-87638

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Zaporozhie - Zaporozhie

MSN:

9 14 19 19

YOM:

1971

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

5762

Aircraft flight cycles:

6627

Circumstances:

The crew departed Zaporozhie Airport at 1257LT on a local training flight. About 11 minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 2,100 metres in marginal weather conditions, the crew informed ATC that he was losing height when the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a 25-30° nose down attitude and a 6° left bank in a field located 20 km northwest of Zaporozhie Airport and 1,400 metres from the Novogupalovka Station. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all five occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

Loss of control due to insufficient speed while the crew was practicing stabilizer trim change. The aircraft stalled due to poor piloting techniques and a probable wrong interpretation of the indicator airspeed value.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Armavir

Date & Time: Dec 7, 1976

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-87756

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: