Mirny

Schedule:

Mirny – Irkutsk – Chita

MSN:

00934 95866

YOM:

1989

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The four engine aircraft departed Mirny on a positioning flight to Chita with an intermediate stop in Irkutsk, carrying four passengers and a crew of seven on behalf of the Russian Ministry of the Interior. Shortly after takeoff by night, the aircraft rolled to the right to an angle of 90° then crashed at a speed of 364 km/h some 1,893 metres past the runway end. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 11 occupants were killed. The accident occurred 59 seconds after takeoff.

Probable cause:

The day before the accident, the aircraft arrived in Mirny following a cargo flight, delivering various goods. After landing, the crew activated the electrical locking system for the rudder and the ailerons, and the 'lock on' light came on in the cockpit panel. In the morning of the accident, prior to takeoff, the crew followed the pre-takeoff checklist and deactivated the electrical locking system, but the 'lock on' light remained illuminated. Considering this as a false alarm, the captain decided to take off and proceeded with a manuel control of the ailerons. The left aileron moved normally while the right aileron got locked because of the locking mechanism. During the takeoff roll, because the four engine were not in full power mode, there was no sound alarm about the aileron locked mechanism. The aircraft deviated to the right and after lift off, it rolled to the right to angle of 8°. The pilot-in-command elected to counteract the banking but this maneuver was limited due to the right aileron locked mechanism. The aircraft continued to roll to the right to an angle of 90° until control was lost.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12B in Krasnoyarsk: 13 killed

Date & Time: Nov 11, 1998 at 1122 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-12

Operator:

Vilyui

Registration:

RA-12955

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Krasnoyarsk-Yemelyanovo (Severny)

Schedule:

Novosibirsk - Krasnoyarsk - Mirny

MSN:

8 3 455 06

YOM:

1968

Flight number:

YR9301

Location:

Krasnoyarsk Krai

Country:

Region:

Vostsibaero - East Siberia Air

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Novosibirsk to MIrny with an intermediate stop in Krasnoyarsk, carrying six passengers, seven crew members and a load of 13,380 kilos of various goods consisting of food, tobacco, clothing and footwear. Weather conditions were marginal with snow falls and icing conditions. During the takeoff roll, after a course of 2,400 metres, the pilot-in-command started the rotation at a speed of 280 km/h. After liftoff, the aircraft started to roll left and right but the crew was able to continue to climb with a rate of about 4 metres per second. During initial climb, at a height of 150 metres and at a speed of 330 km/h, the crew raised the flaps. At this time, the aircraft started to lose height, entered an uncontrolled descent, collided with trees and crashed in a wooded area located 5 km from the airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 13 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Loss of control during initial climb after the crew raised the flaps due to the presence of severe icing conditions which impaired the controllability of the aircraft and its aerodynamic characteristics. The short distance between the aircraft and the ground did not allow the crew to expect recovery.

Crash of an Antonov AN-74-200 in Mirny

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1996 at 2357 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-74

Operator:

Registration:

RA-74037

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mirny - Irkutsk

MSN:

470 98 950

YOM:

1995

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

369

Aircraft flight cycles:

176

Circumstances:

Just after liftoff from Mirny Airport, while in initial climb, the reverse thrust system deployed on the right engine. The aircraft banked right, causing the right wing tip to struck the runway surface. Out of control, the aircraft crash landed, veered off runway and came to rest against a building. All 12 occupants escaped with minor injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the reverse thrust system on the right engine accidentally deployed after takeoff due to a mechanical failure of unknown origin. Nevertheless, investigations confirmed that a warning light came on in the cockpit prior to departure but the crew failed to identify this warning because he did not follow the pre-departure checklist.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14M in Philippi Glacier: 6 killed

Date & Time: Feb 17, 1986 at 0710 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-14

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-41816

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Molodezhnaya - Mirny

MSN:

1470 016 03

YOM:

1957

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

32094

Aircraft flight cycles:

18078

Circumstances:

En route from Molodezhnaya Ice Station to the Mirny Ice Station (distance 2,020 km), the crew encountered icing conditions and reduced his altitude to 1,500 meters when strong headwinds were met (up to 140 km/h). This caused the speed to drop and the fuel consumption to increase. Due to fuel shortage, the crew attempted an emergency landing on the Philippi Glacier located 240 km west of the Mirny Ice Station (at S66.833 E88.00). But in whiteout conditions, the aircraft crashed into the surface of the glacier and was completely destroyed. All six occupants were killed. The wreckage was found few days later.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion due to strong headwind and emergency landing in whiteout conditions.

Crash of an Antonov AN-10 in Mirny

Date & Time: Oct 12, 1969

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-10

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-11169

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Irkutsk - Mirny

MSN:

9 4 015 01

YOM:

1959

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Upon landing on a snow covered runway at Mirny Airport, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and collided with a trench. There were no injuries among the occupant but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The thickness of the snow was 1-2 cm and the crew was not aware of the presence of trench by the runway.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12TB in Mirny

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1969

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-12

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-11380

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

4 026 10

YOM:

1964

Location:

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Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

On touchdown at Mirny Airport, the right main gear collapsed. The airplane went out of control, veered off runway to the right and came to rest. All six crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged repair.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12 in Lensk: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 2, 1968 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-12

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-11349

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Ust-Kut - Mirny

MSN:

4 018 05

YOM:

1964

Location:

Lensk

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Ust-Kut Airport on a cargo flight to Mirny, carrying a load of 18 tons of cement. Few minutes after takeoff, the crew was informed that a landing at Mirny Airport was impossible due to technical problems and the captain decided, without referring to his operations, to divert to Lensk Airport where the weather conditions were considered as poor. At that time, the sky was overcast with clouds down to 600 meters, an horizontal visibility of 2,500 meters with rain and snow. The flight was continued at an altitude of 8,000 meters then the crew was cleared to descent to 3,000 meters and to start the approach to Lensk. On final, the pilot-in-command failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane struck tall trees (20 meters high) in a flat attitude, continued the descent and crashed 420 meters further in a wooded area. The wreckage was found 15,6 km short of runway threshold. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all six crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of a premature descent and a controlled flight into terrain for undetermined reason. Nevertheless, the assumption that an engine may have failed on approach was not ruled out. At the time of the accident, Lensk Airport was not equipped with an ILS system or any kind of ground guidance assistance system.

Crash of an Antonov AN-10A in Mirnyy

Date & Time: Aug 8, 1968

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-10

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-11172

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Irkutsk – Mirny

MSN:

9 4 016 02

YOM:

1959

Location:

Country:

Region: