Karaganda | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Shortly after takeoff from Almaty Airport, while climbing to a height of 80 meters at a speed of 180 km/h, the left engine failed and caught fire. The captain decided to divert to the nearest Pervomaiski Airbase located 4,5 km from his position. On final approach, the aircraft stalled, hit a first building, several trees, two telegraph poles and eventually crashed on a second building. A stewardess was killed while 18 other occupants were injured, some of them seriously. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The left engine failed and caught fire shortly after takeoff due to the failure of the tenth cylinder, apparently due to poor maintenance on part of the company mechanics. Nevertheless, the techniques adopted by the pilot on short final were inappropriate, which contributed to the stall.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-12 in Karaganda: 25 killed

Date & Time: Jul 30, 1950 at 0544 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-12

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1803

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Alma-Ata – Karaganda – Moscow

MSN:

9 301 33 02

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

953

Circumstances:

Six minutes after takeoff from Karaganda Airport, while climbing, the crew reported to ATC that the left engine failed and obtained the permission to return. The pilot in command completed a circuit and started a descent. On final approach, while completing a last turn to the left at a height of 60 meters, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a huge explosion in a field located short of runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 25 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the failure on the left engine. However, it was reported that the crew already encountered technical problems with the same engine a day prior to the accident but failed to report these problems to the ground maintenance.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Balkhash: 15 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1948 at 1250 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4304

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Desert

Schedule:

Alma Ata – Balkhash – Karaganda – Moscow

MSN:

184 239 02

YOM:

Flight number:

SU060

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2474

Circumstances:

Few minutes after its takeoff from Balkhash Airport, while climbing, the aircraft flew into clouds when control was lost. The aircraft banked right and lost altitude. Shortly later, the right wing detached and out of control, the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in an isolated area located about 39 km northwest of Balkhash. The wreckage was spotted 10 days later, on October 10, and all 15 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the pilot in command suffered a spatial disorientation while climbing into clouds. Also, the right wing detached presumably because of aerodynamic forces that exceeded its design.

Crash of a Tupolev G-2 near Baiserke: 26 killed

Date & Time: Dec 26, 1941 at 1126 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-6 (TB-3 & G-2)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L3043

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Almaty – Karaganda – Aktyubinsk – Kuybyshev – Kazan

MSN:

22 182

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2150

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Alma-Ata Airport at 1110LT on a special flight to Kazan with intermediate stops in Karaganda, Aktyubinsk and Kuybyshev. On board were high-ranking party and state officials of the Kazakh government. At the time of departure, weather conditions were poor with low clouds, turbulences, fog and severe icing. About sixteen minutes after takeoff, the captain decided to return to Alma-Ata Airport because of the weather. While completing a steep turn to the left at an altitude of 100-150 metres, he lost control of the airplane that stalled and crashed in a field located 6 km northwest of Dmitriyevka (now Baiserke), bursting into flames. Five crew members and 21 passengers were killed while eight other occupants were seriously injured.

Probable cause:

The crew decided to takeoff in below-minima weather conditions with low clouds, fog, turbulences and severe icing.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-Z near Karataly: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 20, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-Z

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L2398

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Postal (mail)

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Karaganda – Balkhash

MSN:

2846

YOM:

1937

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

149

Circumstances:

The pilot departed Karaganda Airport at 0850LT on a mail flight to Balkhash. En route, he encountered thick fog when the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain. The wreckage was found on 8 March 1938 some 20 km southeast of the village of Karataly. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

The accident is the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain after the pilot lost his orientation in fog.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- Poor visibility due to thick fog;
- The pilot decided to continue the flight in such conditions rather than returning to his departure point;
- The airplane impacted terrain at a speed of 350 - 400 km/h.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 on Mt Kyzyltas: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 25, 1935 at 2155 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1980

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Balkhash – Karaganda

MSN:

10109

YOM:

1935

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

107

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane departed Balkash Airport at 1500LT on a schedule service to Karaganda, carrying three passengers, one pilot and mail. En route, weather conditions worsened and the visibility was poor due to snow falls and fog. Instead of returning to Balkhash, the pilot decided to continue. Flying at night, the pilot flew for almost four hours in difficult conditions when the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Kyzyltas located some 190 km north of Balkash, in the region of Aktogay. In the evening, the manager of the Balkhach Airport received a message confirming that the plane landed at Karaganda, which was wrong. It took two days for the Authorities to realize this information was erroneous. The wreckage was eventually found on the slope of the mountain. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of a navigation error on part of the pilot who was exhausted after flying nearly seven hours in difficult flying conditions (fog, snowfall, night and rough terrain).
The following contributing factors were identified:
- The aircraft departed Balkhach Airport at 1500LT for a 2 hours and 40 minutes flight, giving an ETA in Karaganda at 1740LT when the sunset was scheduled at 1716LT,
- The aircraft was not certified to fly at night,
- The pilot was only allowed to carry passengers during daylight hours and in good weather conditions only,
- The pilot made the wrong decision by continuing the flight when he should have turned back when he encountered bad weather conditions (fog and snow),
- The pilot was overconfident,
- The pilot obtained weather bulletins for both departure and arrival airports but no information about the conditions en route.