Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41/SB 2) | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was in charge to transfer the airplane to its new base in Semipalatinsk and departed Tashkent Airport at 0625LT. En route stops were scheduled in Frunze (Bishkek) and Alma-Ata. About 40 minutes after departure, weather conditions deteriorated on the east part of Uzbekistan with a sand storm. As the airplane failed to arrive in Frunze, SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended as no trace of the airplane was found. The wreckage was eventually found in 1943 at an altitude of 2,501 metres, on the Karzhantau Mountain Range, some 65 km northeast of Tashkent. The airplane impacted the slope of the mountain about 100 metres below the summit and was partially destroyed by a post crash fire. All three crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the pilot failed to follow the prescribed route and continued at an insufficient altitude to pass the Karzhantau Mountain Range. Thus, it is considered that the accident was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain while flying in marginal weather conditions.

Crash of a Tupolev SB 2 near Lovozero: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41/SB 2)

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane failed to return to base following a combat mission in the region of Lovozero. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Cpt Leonid Antonovich Shvarobey, pilot,
Cpt Semyon Nikolaevich Romanov, navigator +1.

Crash of a Tupolev SB 2 near Lovozero: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41/SB 2)

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While flying in poor weather conditions, the airplane impacted ground and crashed. Two crew members were killed and a third was rescued.
Crew:
Cpt Vasily Egorovich Zuev, pilot, †
Cpt Mikhail Platonovich Fadeev, navigator, †
Sgt Alexander Izosimovich Dimukov, radio operator.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Tupolev PS-40 in Tatiny: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942 at 1215 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41/SB 2)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L2466

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Myachkovo - Krasnodar

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1059

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Myachkovo Airport at 1150LT on a special flight to Krasnodar, carrying two passengers and three crew members. About 25 minutes into the flight, weather conditions deteriorated with sudden heavy snow falls. The pilot elected to return but from a height of 150 metres, the airplane entered a dive and crashed one km north of the village of Tatiny. All five occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Sudden deterioration of the weather conditions with heavy snow falls and the too late decision of the pilot to return.

Crash of a Tupolev SB 2 near Afrikanda AFB: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 20, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41/SB 2)

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances near Afrikanda AFB while completing a training flight. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Ludovik Vladimirovich Aleksandrovsky, pilot +2.

Crash of a Tupolev SB 2 in Liping: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 8, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41/SB 2)

Operator:

Registration:

3011

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in the Liping District. Two crew bailed out and the third occupant was killed when the airplane crashed in mountains.
Crew:
Wen Jin, pilot +2.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Tupolev ANT-40 in Russia: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 26, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41/SB 2)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L2450

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

13/95

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane disappeared in the west part of Russia, near the front with German troops. No trace was found.

Crash of a Tupolev SB 2 near Anapa: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 21, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41/SB 2)

Operator:

Registration:

13/117

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shot down by enemy fire and crashed near Anapa, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
M/Lt Ivan Alekseevich Mazur, pilot,
Lt Ivan Grigorievich Udovenko, navigator,
Sgt Fedor Vasilievich Bykhovets, radio operator.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Tupolev ANT-40 near Sok-Karmala: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41/SB 2)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L2483

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kuybyshev – Sverdlovsk

MSN:

8/J

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1000

Circumstances:

When weather conditions improved, the crew was cleared for takeoff and departed Kuybyshev Airport at 1127LT on a flight to Sverdlovsk. The pilot continued the flight at an altitude of 50 metres and once he arrived over the village of Sok-Karmala, he encountered foggy conditions. In low visibility, the airplane impacted trees, lost height and crashed 135 metres further, bursting into flames. The flight engineer was seriously injured and the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

Failure of the pilot who continued the flight at an unsafe altitude in insufficient visibility caused by foggy conditions until the airplane collided with obstacles.

Crash of a Tupolev PS-41 in Tashkent: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1941 at 1745 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41/SB 2)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L3538

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Tashkent - Tashkent

MSN:

11/215

YOM:

1939

Location:

Tashkent-Yuzhny

Tashkent Province (Toshkent viloyati)

Country:

Uzbekistan

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

752

Circumstances:

The crew departed Tashkent-Yuzhny Airport on a local training flight. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the left engine failed. The crew attempted to return for an emergency landing when the airplane stalled and crashed on the laboratory of a textile factory located 2,5 km northwest of the airport, bursting into flames. Both occupants were killed and there were no casualties on the ground.

Probable cause:

Poor flight preparation on part of the crew who failed to recognize that the fuel valve of the left engine was closed prior to takeoff. Failure of the crew to maintain control of the airplane on one engine.