Crash of an Antonov AN-2 on Mt Hadaraniya: 4 killed
Date & Time:
Jul 20, 1956 at 1241 LT
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L5554
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Batagay – Deputatsky
MSN:
1 47 473 05
YOM:
2
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
1355
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Batagay Airport at 1142LT bound for Deputatsky with a crew of three, three passengers and 543 kilos of various goods. En route, weather conditions worsened and the pilot climbed from 1,400 to 2,000 meters. As the visibility deteriorated, the aircraft deviated from the prescribed flight plan by 12 km and later, the pilot-in-command reduced his altitude to 1,300 meters when the airplane hit the slope of Mt Hadaraniya (1,468 meters high) located about 175 km northeast of Batagay. Two passengers were injured while four other occupants were killed. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of wrong decisions on part of the crew who decided to modify his route without prior permission while he was flying in below minima weather conditions above a mountainous area. The following findings were reported:
- poor flight organization,
- poor analysis of the flight documentation,
- meteorological forecast that did not reflect the reality.
- poor flight organization,
- poor analysis of the flight documentation,
- meteorological forecast that did not reflect the reality.
