Minsk

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Moscow – Moguilev – Minsk – Brest

MSN:

1460 007 04

YOM:

1956

Flight number:

SU607

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

6363

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Minsk Airport at 1245LT bound for Brest. While cruising at an altitude of 9,000 feet, the crew noted that the oil temperature on the right engine increased while the temperature of the second breech dropped. In such situation, the captain decided to shot down the right engine, feathered its propeller and continued to Brest. At 1405LT, he notified his situation to ATC and started the descent to Brest Airport in marginal weather conditions. On final approach, at an altitude of 40 meters, the undercarriage and flaps were lowered when the captain was instructed to go around. For unknown reason, he continued the approach and the right main gear touched down 390 meters past the runway threshold. The left main gear touched down 73 meters farther and after a course of 930 meters, the airplane overran and collided with the ILS antenna before coming to rest in flames. All 21 passengers were injured while five crew members were seriously wounded. The board mechanic died from his injuries five hours later. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The right engine has to be shut down in flight because of the failure of the second cylinder due to a manufacture defect. Following poor techniques on part of the captain, the approach configuration on one engine was wrong and the third turn on final was completed too late. Marginal weather conditions, a wet runway surface and a limited visibility were considered as contributing factors.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-12 in Minsk: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jul 21, 1960 at 0032 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-12

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-01405

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Leningrad – Vilnius – Minsk – Lviv

MSN:

83012902

YOM:

1949

Flight number:

SU414

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

13706

Circumstances:

After a course of 750 meters at Minsk Airport, the pilot-in-command completed the rotation. Due to an insufficient speed, the airplane climbed with a high angle off attack and was quite immediately in a nose high attitude and in stall conditions. The airplane struck the ground four times then hit power cables before crashing on a truck parking lot. The aircraft was destroyed and all four crew members and four passengers were killed. The rest of the occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

Wrong takeoff configuration on part of the flying crew who started the rotation at an insufficient speed, causing the aircraft to be in a high angle of attack and in stall conditions immediately after liftoff. The fact that the runway was soggy was considered as a contributing factor because this slow down the airplane during the takeoff procedure to due an excessive accumulation of water on the lower part of the wing, reducing the aerodynamic capabilities.

Crash of a Douglas TS-62 in Skvoritsy: 7 killed

Date & Time: Oct 5, 1952 at 1602 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1055

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Leningrad – Minsk

MSN:

16973/34233

YOM:

1945

Flight number:

SU381

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

4042

Circumstances:

The TS-62 took off from Leningrad-Shosseynaya Airport and its crew received the permission to climb to the altitude of 2,700 meters via the corridor number two. While climbing into clouds, the airplane collided with an Aeroflot Ilyushin II-12 that was approaching the same Airport. Inbound from Minsk, the II-12 was registered CCCP-L1328 and was carrying 19 passengers and a crew of five. Its pilot obtained the permission from ATC to descend to the altitude of 1,200 meters via the same corridor number two. At the altitude of 1,200 meters, both aircraft collided, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located near the village of Skvoritsy, about 23 km southwest of Leningrad-Shosseynaya Airport. Both wreckage were found 1,200 meters from each other and all 31 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the collision was caused by an error on part of the ATC services. Despite the fact that both aircraft were tracked on radar screens, ATC based at Leningrad-Shosseïnaya Airport failed to take appropriate actions to ensure a minimum safe separation between both airplanes and failed to realize that they were flying in the same corridor in an opposite direction and at the same altitude. Investigations revealed that the collision was the result of successive errors on part of the ATC who failed to ensure an efficient radar surveillance and transmitted to both crews inappropriate instructions that led both aircraft on the same track.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-12 in Skvoritsy: 24 killed

Date & Time: Oct 5, 1952 at 1602 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-12

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1328

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Minsk – Leningrad

MSN:

30 054

YOM:

Flight number:

SU376

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2283

Circumstances:

The crew was approaching Leningrad-Shosseynaya Airport and obtained the permission by ATC to descend to the altitude of 1,200 meters via corridor number two. While flying into clouds, the airplane collided with an Aeroflot Douglas TS-62 registered CCCP-L1055 that was performing flight SU381 to Minsk with seven people on board. It just took off from the same airport and its crew received the permission to climb to the altitude of 2,700 meters via the same corridor number two. At the altitude of 1,200 meters, both aircraft collided, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located near the village of Skvoritsy, about 23 km southwest of Leningrad-Shosseynaya Airport. Both wreckage were found 1,200 meters from each other and all 31 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-30-DK in Minsk: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 30, 1948 at 0920 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1017

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Minsk – Moscow

MSN:

16394/33142

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

3163

Circumstances:

The aircraft suffered a landing mishap last December 4 when the right main gear partially collapsed on landing. Temporary repairs were made at Minsk and on December 30, the crew was instructed to position to Moscow for further maintenance. Shortly after takeoff from Minsk Airport, while climbing to a height of some 50 meters, the aircraft entered clouds, banked to the right, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located 2 km northwest of the airport. A crew member was injured while three others were killed.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. Any relation with the mishap that the aircraft suffered on December 4 could not be proven. The assumption that the pilot in command suffered a spatial disorientation could not be ruled out.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DK in Bakovka: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1946 at 1209 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L893

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Moscow – Minsk – Berlin

MSN:

13096

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1581

Circumstances:

About five minutes after takeoff from Moscow-Vnukovo Airport, while climbing to a height of some 150 meters, the aircraft banked left, dove into the ground and crashed 800 meters south of Bukovka. All five crew members were killed. They were performing a cargo flight to Berlin with an intermediate stop in Minsk, carrying a load of newspapers for a total weight of 2,350 kilos.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, investigators reported that the loss of control may have been caused by an excessive accumulation of ice on the carburetors or on the Pitot tubes or on the windshield or on all three simultaneously.

Crash of a GVF PS-84 near Kielce: 11 killed

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1945

Type of aircraft:

GVF PS-84

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L3976

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Świętokrzyskie)

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Krakow – Minsk – Moscow

MSN:

184 19 03

YOM:

Location:

Kielce

Country:

Poland

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

3087

Circumstances:

The aircraft was performing a flight from Krakow to Moscow with an intermediate stop in Minsk on behalf of the Commissariat for Communications. En route, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and deviated from the flight prescribed flight path. While flying at an estimated altitude of 250 meters, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Łysica (611 meters high) located 20 km east of Kielce. All six crew members and five passengers were killed while two others were seriously injured.

Probable cause:

Wrong decision on part of the crew who continued the flight into the clouds without knowing his exact position and the minimum safe altitude for the area.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DK in Minsk

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L901

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Moscow – Minsk – Kaunas – Šiauliai

MSN:

12890

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a cargo flight from Moscow-Vnukovo to Šiauliai with intermediate stops in Minsk and Kaunas, carrying a load of newspapers. About 15 minutes after takeoff from Minsk Airport, the right engine failed. The captain decided to return but on final approach, he was forced to make a go around for undetermined reasons. A second attempt to land was also abandoned few minutes later and during the initial climb, the left engine failed as well. The aircraft stalled, hit a telephone pole and the roof of a house before coming to rest in a garden. All six occupants were slightly injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure for undetermined reason.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DL near Maladechna: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 11, 1944 at 1730 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L835

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: