Armavir | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Following an uneventful flight from Dnepropetrovsk, the crew started the approach to Mineralnye Vody Airport at dusk. Unable to distinguish the runway, the captain decided to initiate a go-around. He elected to divert to Stavropol Airport but ATC informed him that the visibility was 300 metres only (although it was in fact 700 metres which would have allowed a safe landing). The captain attempted a second approach to Mineralnye Vody but was forced to initiate a second go-around manoeuvre. This time, he decided to divert to Armavir Airport when on final, all three engines failed simultaneously due to fuel exhaustion. The captain completed an emergency landing in an orchard located 1,745 metres short of runway threshold. All 29 occupants escaped unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Failure of all three engines on final approach to Armavir Airport due to fuel exhaustion. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Poor flight planning on part of the crew who departed Dnepropetrovsk Airport with an insufficient quantity of fuel (taking into consideration two missed approach and a divert to Armavir),
- Inaccurate information provided by ATC concerning the visibility at Stavropol Airport which was not 300 metres but 700 metres and would allow the crew to land safely.

Crash of a Kalinin K-5 near Kian: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 30, 1941 at 1550 LT

Type of aircraft:

Kalinin K-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L589

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Mineralnye Vody – Armavir

MSN:

YOM:

1930

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

3976

Circumstances:

In the morning, the pilot was supposed to take off from Mineralnye Vody to Zimovniki but the flight was cancelled due to poor weather conditions en route. At 1500LT, despite he did not received any permission, he took off with four people on a flight to Armavir. Approaching Kian at an altitude of 300 metres, he encountered thick fog. In limited visibility, he decided to return and initiated a turn to the left when, at a speed of 180 km/h, the airplane impacted the ground and crashed some three km south of the Kian Station. The airplane was destroyed and all five occupants were injured, three seriously. Few hours later, one of the passengers died from injuries sustained.

Probable cause:

The pilot's violation of the procedures in initiating a flight without permission and despite poor weather conditions.

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

Date & Time: Jun 10, 1934 at 0640 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1528

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Postal (mail)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Mineralnye Vody – Armavir – Rostov-on-Don

MSN:

7952

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Mineralnye Vody on a mail flight to Rostov with an intermediate stop in Armavir. Following technical problems and due to marginal weather conditions, the pilot was forced to pass the overnight in Armavir. The pilot departed Armavir at 0510LT bound for Rostov. While approaching Kuschevka, he encountered foggy conditions and decided to make a 180 turn. Doing so, and apparently while trying to establish a visual contact with the ground, the airplane lost height and crashed in an open field. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the result of an impact with the ground following a loss of altitude in reduced visibility due to fog.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- The pilot made the decision to continue the flight through fog and did not make the decision early enough to turn back;
- A sudden formation of fog;
- The weather station of Kushevka had issued a timely warning bulletin but this was transferred too late to the airport of Armavir after being blocked for almost two hours at the telegraph office of Rostov.