Date & Time: Feb 18, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev TU-154
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-85087
Flight Phase:
Parking
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
74A-087
YOM:
1974
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While parked at Tolmachevo Airport with negative temperatures, ground employees in charge to clean the cabin installed a heater on a vehicle to heat the cabin. The aircraft engineer who performed the work left the operating heater unattended and left. At the same time, an oily rag was forgotten in front of the inlet of the air heater, which was subsequently drawn into the air heater, caught fire and was thrown through the sleeve into the aircraft cabin. The fire was not detected rapidly so it spread in the cabin and destroyed a large part of the aircraft. There were no injuries.