Kirsanov | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed Kiev-Borispol Airport at 2321LT on the second leg of a flight from Odessa to Kazan. While cruising by night at an altitude of 9,000 meters and a speed of 530 km/h, the flaps extended to an angle of 30°. The airplane entered a spin and partially disintegrated at an altitude of 4,000 meters before crashing in a field located near Kirsanov. The aircraft was totally destroyed and debris were found on a wide area. None of the 63 occupants survived the crash.

Probable cause:

It was not possible to determine the exact cause of the extension of the flaps to an angle of 30° while the aircraft was in normal cruise with the autopilot system engaged. Various analysis could not define if the extension was the result of an electrical failure or a human action, voluntary or not. The most likely cause for flap release could be moving the handle of the left pilot flap control switch to the 'down' position by an angle sufficient to trigger the switch. The design of the locking device of the ZPPM-45 switch of the left pilot and its geographical situation does not exclude the possibility of an unintentional flap release, which was revealed by a one-time check of these devices on 16 others Tupolev Tu-124 aircraft.

Crash of a Polikarpov U-2 in Ekaterinino: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov Po-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-S215

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Efremov – Kirsanov

MSN:

0731

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew (one pilot and one copilot/navigator) departed Efremov on a ferry flight to Kirsanov where the airplane was supposed to follow a maintenance program. En route, the crew made an unauthorized stop at the village of Ekaterinino where the copilot had friends. A first local 5-6-minutes flight was completed by the copilot with a friend on board. A second flight was initiated by the pilot with another friend. After the pilot completed a looping at a height of 250-300 metres, the airplane's altitude was too low and it impacted the ground and crashed in a field. Both occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew made an unauthorized stop at Ekaterinino. At the time of the accident, both pilots and friend were intoxicated after they have consumed pure alcohol. The pilot decided to make acrobatic manoeuvre and the distance between the airplane and the ground at the end of the looping was insufficient to expect recovery.