Leningrad

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Leningrad - Murmansk

MSN:

5 35 17 06

YOM:

1965

Flight number:

SU145

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

7425

Aircraft flight cycles:

5854

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight by night at an assigned altitude of 8,400 meters, the crew was cleared to descent to 2,400 bound for Kilpyavr AFB near Murmansk. While in a 3° nose-down attitude, the airplane struck the snow covered slope of a hill (240 meters high), slid for 624 meters then lost its both engines and wings and came to a halt, broken in two. The wreckage was found 29,5 km from the airport and 8 km to the right of the extended centerline. Eight passengers and three crew members (the captain, the navigator and the flight engineer) were killed while 27 other occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the pilot-in-command started the descent prematurely, causing the aircraft to descend below the minimum prescribed altitude. The lack of visibility caused by night and the absence of any visual reference points on the ground did not allow the crew to know his exact position and to distinguish the ground obstacles. ATC allowed the crew to perform a straight-in approach with radar control. The following factors were considered as contributing:
- Absence of an established approach procedure,
- Intermittent loss of VHF communications during the approach procedure,
- The relative inexperience of the flying crew with less than 500 flying hours on this type of aircraft.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-18V in Arkhangelsk

Date & Time: Aug 27, 1966 at 1407 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-18

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-75552

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Arkhangelsk – Leningrad – Riga

MSN:

184 0074 04

YOM:

1964

Flight number:

SU3772

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

114

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

3042

Aircraft flight cycles:

2297

Circumstances:

During takeoff run at Arkhangelsk-Talaghi Airport, the crew encountered control problems. As the airplane was unstable, the captain decided to abort the takeoff procedure and started an emergency brake maneuver. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overrun and came to rest. Ten passengers were injured while all 111 other occupants were unhurt. The aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair due to heavy structural damages.

Probable cause:

The crew failed to prepare the flight according to checklist and forgot to unlock the rudder prior to takeoff.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-124 in Leningrad

Date & Time: Aug 21, 1963 at 1215 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev TU-124

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-45021

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Tallinn – Moscow

MSN:

2 35 07 01

YOM:

1962

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Tallinn-Ülemiste Airport at 0855LT, while climbing, the crew encountered technical problems with the undercarriage that could not be raised properly. As there was fog in Tallinn, the crew decided to divert to Leningrad-Pulkovo Airport. The airplane arrived over Leningrad at 1100LT and the crew was authorized to following a holding circuit at an altitude of 500 meters. During the eight circuit, while the fuel jauges indicates a quantity of 750 liters remaining, the left engine stopped. The crew received the permission to land when the right engine failed as well. In such conditions, the captain decided to attempt an emergency landing on the Neva River. On touchdown, the aircraft slid for several yards and came to rest near the riverbank. All 52 occupants were evacuated safely and only two occupants were slightly injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and later used for ground training.

Probable cause:

Failure of both engines due to a fuel exhaustion caused by an excessive consumption due to the fact that the flight from Tallinn to Leningrad was performed with the undercarriage down. It was also noted that the settings belonging to the fuel jauges failed to reflect the truth, which was considered as a contributing factor. Also, the crew failed to manage the emergency situation properly.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-104B in Odessa: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1961 at 1043 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev TU-104

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-42447

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Leningrad – Odessa

MSN:

9 2 10 04

YOM:

Flight number:

SU381

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1475

Aircraft flight cycles:

1080

Circumstances:

While descending to Odessa, the crew was informed by ATC that a storm was approaching the airport from the southwest. The crew continued the approach and after passing the outer marker, encountered heavy rain falls and turbulences. On short final, the airplane lost height and passed below the glide, struck approach lights and the roof of a building. On impact, an undercarriage was sheared off and remained on the building's roof. Out of control, the airplane plunged into the earth and crashed in flames in a field located short of runway 16 threshold. Two passengers and all nine crew members were injured while 83 other occupants were unhurt. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire. Three hours after the crash, the navigator died from his injuries.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the loss of height on final was the consequence of an excessive reduction of thrust on part of the crew, who engaged the aircraft in an insufficient approach speed and a subsequent descent below the glide. The presence of turbulences (downdrafts) was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-104B in Sverdlovsk: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 16, 1961 at 1310 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev TU-104

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-42438

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Novosibirsk – Sverdlovsk – Leningrad

MSN:

9 2 08 05

YOM:

Flight number:

SU068

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1600

Aircraft flight cycles:

789

Circumstances:

After takeoff from runway 27 at Sverdlovsk-Koltsovo Airport, while climbing to a height of 130-150 meters, the right engine failed. This caused severe vibrations and the crew was unable to read the instruments properly. Trying to manipulate the throttle, the flight engineer inadvertently shut down the left engine. Due to a loss of power and insufficient thrust, the airplane lost height and the captain elected to make an emergency landing in a frozen pond located nine km west of the airfield. The aircraft landed at high speed, collided with several obstacles and eventually came to rest, broken in three, after a course of 1,220 meters. Two crew members, three passengers and two people on the ground were killed. 31 occupants were injured and 15 were unhurt. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Due to fatigue cracks, a blade located on the second stage of the compressor failed during initial climb, causing the failure of the right engine and severe vibrations. The inadvertent shut down of the left engine was a contributing factor.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-12 in Cherepovets

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1958

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-12

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1467

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Leningrad – Cherepovets – Sverdlovsk

MSN:

8 30 25 04

YOM:

1948

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Apparently following a wrong approach configuration, the airplane landed long and was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran and crashed into a ravine. There were no casualties but the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Ozerevo: 7 killed

Date & Time: Sep 28, 1955 at 0003 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4712

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

North American B-25 Mitchell

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Moscow-Vnukovo – Leningrad

MSN:

184 318 01

YOM:

Flight number:

SU349

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

8663

Circumstances:

Enroute from Vnukovo to Leningrad, while cruising at an altitude of 900 meters in clouds, the right engine failed. Unfortunately, the crew was unable to feather the propeller and thus, was unable to maintain a safe altitude. The captain decided to divert to the Vypolzovo Airbase but radio contact with the base was impossible for unknown reason. Eventually, the pilot attempted an emergency landing in a potatoes field located in Ozerevo when the airplane crashed. Five crew members and two passengers were killed while 12 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Failure of the right engine in flight caused by an oil leakage due to the failure of a connection hose.

Crash of a North American B-25C Mitchell in Klyazma: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 6, 1947 at 1521 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Gidrometeosluzhba

Registration:

CCCP-M345

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Delivery

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Moscow - Koltushi

MSN:

82-5183

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

460

Circumstances:

The airplane was on a delivery flight from Moscow to Leningrad-Koltushi Airport and has to be transferred from the Soviet Air Force to the Russian Hydro and Meteo Services (Gidrometeosluzhba). Shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the left engine caught fire. The pilot in command elected to make an emergency landing but smoke spread in the cockpit and the crew lost control of the aircraft that crashed in Klyazma. Three crew members, one passenger and one person on the ground were killed while three others were injured (one crew, one passenger and one person on the ground). The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Fire on the left engine caused by the failure of a connecting rod for undetermined reason. This caused the piston of the 11th cylinder to brake.

Crash of a GVF PS-84 in Yakhnovo: 17 killed

Date & Time: Sep 19, 1943 at 2315 LT

Type of aircraft:

GVF PS-84

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4008

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: