Polikarpov P-5 | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

While cruising in poor weather conditions, the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located in the region of Gosh, some 74 km northeast of Yerevan. The pilot was rescued and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Mestia

Date & Time: May 18, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L2988

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Postal (mail)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Kutaisi - Mestia

MSN:

5777

YOM:

1932

Location:

Mestia

Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti

Country:

Georgia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an error on part of the pilot, the airplane crashed upon landing at Mestia Airport. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and the pilot was uninjured.

Probable cause:

Pilot error.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 off Khoe: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 12, 1941 at 1409 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1679

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinski – Khabarovsk

YOM:

1935

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

563

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane departed Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinski on a flight to Khabarovsk, carrying two passengers, one pilot and a load of 75 kg of mail. About 14 minutes into the flight, the pilot entered an area of fog. As the visibility was poor, he reduced his altitude and descended relatively fast when he lost control of the airplane that crashed on the icy Tatar Strait, about 3 km off the village of Khoe. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The pilot made the decision to continue the flight in difficult weather conditions, which probably exacerbated the nervous tension and the illness from which he suffered. It is likely that he lost consciousness as he began the steep descent, due to the fact that he was suffering from chronic sclerotic inflammation of the meninges, which could lead to epileptic seizures with loss of consciousness. He had lost consciousness in 1940 at Okha Airport.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 near Kokpekty: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 4, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1622

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Zaysan – Kokpekty – Semipalatinsk

MSN:

9196

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot departed Kokpekty without any information about weather conditions. Few minutes after takeoff, he entered an area of snow falls and his decision to fly back was taken too late. While approaching Kokpekty at an insufficient altitude, he saw a hill and initiated a turn when the airplane crashed. The pilot was seriously injured and both passengers were killed.

Probable cause:

The decision of the pilot to leave Kokpekty without accurate weather information and later to fly at a too low altitude in poor visibility.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Tbilisi

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1560

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Tbilisi - Tbilisi

MSN:

8474

YOM:

1934

Location:

Tbilisi

Tbilisi City District

Country:

Georgia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Georgia and the Director of the Airport of Tbilisi departed Tbilisi that day on a P-5 to proceed to the north to try to locate a Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40) that was missing since September 23. After takeoff, the airplane entered clouds and after few minutes, the pilot was able to climb and to continue over the cloud layer. Nevertheless, all surrounding mountains were shrouded in clouds so the pilot decided to return to Tbilisi. While descending through clouds, the pilot lost control of the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed in a wooded area near the airport. Both occupants were seriously injured.

Probable cause:

The crew failed to check the weather conditions prior to departure.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Novosibirsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1938 at 0315 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1900

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Novosibirsk – Omsk

MSN:

9548

YOM:

1935

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2269

Circumstances:

During the flight preparation, the pilot was informed about the deterioration of the weather conditions en route. Nevertheless, he took off from Novosibirsk Airport at 0310LT on a cargo flight to Omsk. The aircraft was also carrying a load of 184 kg of camphor. Immediately after takeoff, the airplane entered clouds and fog. The pilot continued for about five minutes when the airplane crashed in a wooded area located 7 km north of the airport. The pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

The pilot was not sufficiently trained and the aircraft was not equipped for a night IFR flight. At the time of the accident, the visibility was poor due to low clouds and fog. The pilot probably lost control of the airplane after becoming disoriented.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Yerevan

Date & Time: Mar 10, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1950

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Yerevan - Abaryan

MSN:

4609

YOM:

1932

Location:

Yerevan

Country:

Armenia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane was completing a mail flight from Yerevan to Abaryan, carrying one mechanic, one pilot and a load of 119 kg of mail. Ten minutes after takeoff, while flying at an insufficient height, the airplane impacted the snow covered ground, overturned and crashed. Both occupants were injured and the airplane was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain after the pilot continued the flight at an unsafe altitude, due to poor judgment of the distance between the aircraft and the ground.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 near Kichik-Dekhna: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1616

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Yevlakh - Yevlakh

MSN:

9343

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed Yevlakh Airport at 0840LT on a local training flight. Bound to the north. the crew encountered limited visibility due to low clouds. The pilot-in-command saw a mountain and attempted to gain height when the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Chavurdasy located north of the village of Kichik-Dekhna. The wreckage was found at an altitude of 750 metres and both pilots were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of the decision of the crew to perform a training flight without prior permission and without any information about the weather conditions en route.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Tambov

Date & Time: Jan 7, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

NIISS

Registration:

CCCP-E41

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Tashkent – Penza – Moscow

MSN:

8079

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane was completing a special flight from Tashkent to Moscow with an intermediate stop in Penza, carrying one passenger (a mechanic) and one pilot. Weather conditions at takeoff from Penza were excellent. About 40 minutes into the flight, these conditions deteriorated with fog. The pilot elected to gain height and climbed to the altitude of 1,400 metres when he encountered icing conditions. He decided to returned to Penza and initiated a 180 turn in the clouds when he lost control of the airplane that entered a dive. At a height of 200 metres, he regained control but lost it again at a height of 100 metres before the airplane crashed near Tambov, west of Penza. Both occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

Loss of control in clouds after the pilot suffered a spatial disorientation.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- The information transmitted to the pilot concerning weather conditions en route were inaccurate,
- Icing conditions,
- The pilot was not sufficiently trained to fly in IFR conditions.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Drachevka

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1937

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1538

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kharkiv – Moscow

MSN:

8064

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Kharkiv on a mail flight to Moscow, carrying one pilot and a load of 400 kg of mail. About 50 minutes into the flight, the engine started to vibrate. A smell of fuel spread in the cabin and the engine caught fire. The pilot bailed out and abandoned the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in an open field. The pilot was burned to his legs and the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the engine caught fire after a fuel line ruptured in flight, causing the fuel to spill and to ignite while in contact with high temperature components. The line in question had already been repaired but the hose that had been placed to seal the line failed because it was corroded by the fuel.

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