Country
Russia

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Moscow: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 4, 1948 at 0352 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4498
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Moscow – Kharkiv – Zaporozhie – Simferopol
MSN:
44 09
YOM:
0
Flight number:
SU253
Location:
Moscow-Bykovo
Moscow oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Aircraft flight hours:
113
Circumstances:
Takeoff from Moscow-Bykovo Airport was completed by night. Shortly after liftoff, during the initial climb, the captain ordered to switch off the landing light and to raise the undercarriage. The aircraft encountered problems to gain height and banked left, causing the left engine and its propeller to hit the ground. After a course of some 150 meters, the aircraft hit a telephone pole and wires and then crashed in flames in a garden. Five passengers and the radio operator were killed while 8 other people were injured, some of them seriously. The remaining then occupants were unhurt. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the pilot in command suffered a spatial disorientation shortly after liftoff when the landing light was switched off. Due to the absence of ground visual reference and the poor visibility caused by night, the pilot lost his orientation and the control of the aircraft. It was also determined that the crew was tired at the time of the accident because he accumulated more than 11 flying hours per day during the last three days prior to the accident. Also, the lack of assistance on part of the copilot was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2T in Mamakan: 28 killed

Date & Time: Apr 24, 1948 at 1440 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4460
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Kirensk – Bodaibo
MSN:
37 04
YOM:
31
Location:
Bodaibo
Irkutsk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
25
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
28
Aircraft flight hours:
310
Circumstances:
Approaching Bodaibo, the crew lost his orientation due to low visibility caused by poor weather conditions (snow falls). The captain decided to reduce his altitude and followed the Vitim River to join Bodaibo Airport at a height of 100 meters. The aircraft hit the water surface and crashed in a huge explosion into the river off Mamakan, about 13 km southwest of Bodaibo. A passenger was injured and rescued while all 28 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident occurred in flight conditions that were below published minima. It was reported that the weather prediction were not efficient and did not reflect the truth. The pilot took the wrong decision to continue and to descent in such poor weather conditions.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2T in Khabarovsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 23, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4437
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Khabarovsk – Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
MSN:
33 05
YOM:
30
Location:
Khabarovsk
Khabarovsk Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
514
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft veered off the center line to the right as the rudder trim has not been set to neutral position before takeoff. The crew failed to abort the takeoff procedure and about 30 seconds after liftoff, during initial climb, the right wing hit a telegraph line and collided with the pole of a high voltage power line. Out of control, the aircraft stalled and crashed. The mechanic was killed while 13 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The crew failed to prepare the flight properly and did not follow the pre departure checklist. In such conditions, they did not realize that the rudder trim was not set in neutral position, causing the aircraft to veer off the runway center line during the takeoff roll.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Vorkuta

Date & Time: Mar 16, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-N456
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Vorkuta - Vorkuta
MSN:
184 277 05
YOM:
1947
Location:
Vorkuta
Republic of Komi
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
434
Circumstances:
Following the disappearance of a LI-2 registered CCCP-N444 on March 7, rescue operations were conducted and dispatched. Unfortunately, due to poor weather conditions (heavy snow falls), most of the crew were forced to stay on the ground. That day, a crew decided to make a sortie but the runway at Vorkuta Airport has not been cleared of snow. The captain ask three crew members to seat in the rear of the cabin and started the takeoff procedure on a snow covered runway (up to 30 cm of snow). After a course of about 700 meters, the aircraft lifted off but failed to gain height due to an insufficient speed. After passing the runway end, the aircraft hit the roof of a house, lost an engine, stalled and crashed in a field. All six crew members were injured and the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Mt Netem-Pe: 20 killed

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-N444
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Dudinka – Amderma
MSN:
1848009
Location:
Mt Netem-Pe
Republic of Yamalia
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
20
Circumstances:
While flying by night from Dudinka to Amderma, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and due to low visibility, became lost. The aircraft hit the eastern slope of Mt Netem-Pe (1,338 meters high) located 143 km north of Kharp, in the Iamalo-Nenets okrug. As the aircraft failed to arrive, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft was found. Walkers found the wreckage in an isolated area on September 17, 1950. All 20 occupants were killed. It appears the crew was tired at the time of the accident and did not have a sufficient rest time prior to start the flight.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Zlatoust: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 30, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4214
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Chelyabinsk – Kazan – Moscow
MSN:
18421005
YOM:
0
Flight number:
SU020
Location:
Zlatoust
Chelyabinsk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Aircraft flight hours:
2316
Circumstances:
The crew left Chelyabinsk Airport at 1215LT, established contact with RDS Koltsovo and was instructed to proceed to the altitude of 1,500 meters, although this was lower than the minimum safe altitude of 2,100 meters on the route Chelyabinsk - Kazan. An hour later, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with a cloud base at 200 meters, heavy snow falls and an estimated horizontal visibility less than 4 km. While cruising at the altitude of 1,145 meters, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Taganay located about 20 km north of Zlatoust. The wreckage was found in an isolated and mountainous area a day later, the aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all six occupants have been killed. The aircraft was carrying a load of various goods consisting of grinding wheels, boxes and a furnace-type PET-8 for a total of 2,298 kilos.
Probable cause:
The crew was authorized to fly at an altitude of 1,500 meters while the minimum prescribed altitude was fixed at 2,100 meters. It was reported that weather datas compiled prior to the flight were incomplete in that the person in charge of preparing the file for the crew remained asleep. Despite this situation, the crew decided to leave the airport of Chelyabinsk while they had no specific information about the weather and although they have not been cleared to land in Kazan Airport.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2P on Mt Rumija: 23 killed

Date & Time: Nov 27, 1947 at 0420 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Jugoslovenske Sovjet Transport Aviacija - JUSTA
Registration:
YU-BAD
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Zagreb – Titograd
MSN:
184 270 09
YOM:
1947
Flight number:
JU247
Location:
Mt Rumija
Coastal Region
Country:
Montenegro
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
23
Circumstances:
The descent to Titograd was started from the south, by night and poor weather conditions. Through freezing fog, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Rumija located 25 km south of the airport. The wreckage was found few hours later and all 23 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Vasa Vračarević 4.
Probable cause:
The crew was approaching Titograd Airport at a too low altitude, apparently to maintain a visual contact with the ground. Low visibility caused by clouds, fog and night was considered as a contributory factor. The possibility that an altimeter was defective was not ruled out.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Plouznice: 13 killed

Date & Time: Nov 21, 1947 at 1800 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
YR-TAI
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Bucharest – Prague
MSN:
184 235 09
YOM:
1946
Location:
Plouznice
Liberec Region (Liberecký kraj)
Country:
Czech Republic
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
21
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
Enroute from Bucharest to Prague, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds. The pilot lost his orientation due to fog and decided to reduce his altitude to establish a visual contact with the ground when the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in a dense wooded area. Thirteen passengers were rescued, among them Arel Grigoresco, ambassador of Romania in Prague, while thirteen other occupants were killed, among them all five crew members.
Probable cause:
Due to poor weather conditions, the crew decided to fly at an insufficient altitude, neglecting navigational rules. It appears that radio failed in flight, which was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Bucharest: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 13, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
YR-TAV
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Constanta – Bucharest
MSN:
184 238 01
YOM:
1951
Location:
Bucharest-Băneasa
București
Country:
Romania
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Crashed on final approach to Bucharest-Baneasa Airport. Three passengers were killed while five other occupants were injured.
Subscribe to Lisunov LI-2