Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R near Novosibirsk

Date & Time: Aug 22, 1987
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-01641
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1G82-35
YOM:
1967
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the engine failed for unknown reason. The crew attempted to make an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in a wooded area located in the region of Novosibirsk. All 14 occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure for unknown reasons.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 near Tatarsk: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1983 at 1244 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-71290
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Mielec – Lvov – Samara – Omsk – Novosibirsk
MSN:
1G201-18
YOM:
1983
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane was just coming out from the PZL-Mielec factory in Mielec, Poland. Three crew members and one passenger were in charge to deliver the plane to Novosibirsk via Lvov, Samara and Omsk. The crew departed Omsk at noon on the last leg to Novosibirsk and continued in good weather conditions bound to the east. While approaching Tatarsk, weather conditions deteriorated with clouds down to 150 meters above the ground. The pilot-in-command reduced his altitude in an attempt to maintain visual contact with the ground. At an altitude of 199 meters, the single engine airplane struck with its both right wings a relay antenna (202 meters high) located about 5 km northeast of Tatarsk. Out of control, the aircraft lost height and crashed 280 meters further in a snow covered field, bursting into flames. All four occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The crew failed to prepare the flight properly and took the decision to continue to fly under VFR mode into low clouds with a below-minima visibility. The people in charge to transmit to the crew weather bulletin failed to ensure that information were accurate. A lack of discipline and wrong in-flight decisions on part of the crew were considered as contributing factors.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-134A in Ufa

Date & Time: May 19, 1979
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-65839
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Novosibirsk - Ufa - Chisinau
MSN:
18117
YOM:
1974
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
83
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
9994
Aircraft flight cycles:
6113
Circumstances:
The final approach was completed by night with the wheel brakes locked. Upon touchdown, all tyres exploded. The left main gear broke off, causing the left wing to struck the ground. A fuel tank was punctured and the aircraft caught fire. Out of control, it veered off runway to the right and came to rest in flames. All 89 occupants survived, 10 of them, including two crew members, were injured. The aircraft was destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
Poor approach planning on part of the flying crew who failed to follow the approach checklist and completed the landing procedure with the wheel brakes locked.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2P in Novosibirsk: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 26, 1976 at 0816 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-79868
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
1 163 473 12
YOM:
1961
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Aircraft flight hours:
14812
Circumstances:
The pilot decided to commit suicide due to marital problems and took off alone from Novosibirsk-Severny Airport and directed his aircraft into the 4 floor building where his wife and his son were living (ul. Stepnaya, d. 43/1). A strong fire erupted in the staircase and some 30 flats were damaged. The pilot was killed as well as 4 people in the building, among them three children. 11 other were injured, none of them was related to the pilot.
Probable cause:
Pilot suicide.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Ribnoye: 9 killed

Date & Time: Nov 1, 1962 at 0503 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-54970
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Chita – Krasnoyarsk – Novosibirsk – Omsk – Chelyabinsk – Kuybyshev – Minsk
MSN:
2 34 428 09
YOM:
23
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Aircraft flight hours:
14950
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Chita Airport on October 31 on a positioning flight to Minsk with intermediate stops at Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Chelyabinsk and Kuybyshev, carrying a crew of five and four passengers, crew wife's and children. On the leg from Krasnoyarsk to Novosibirsk, weather conditions worsened and the crew elected to gain height due to icing conditions but this was denied by ATC. While cruising at an altitude between 900 and 1,500 meters, the airplane went out of control and entered a dive before crashing in flames in a dense wooded area located near Ribnoye, about 23 km east of Tamozhenka. Due to low clouds and snow falls, rescue teams could be dispatched only a day later but all SAR operations were suspended on November 22 as no trace of the aircraft nor the 9 occupants was found. These operations were restarted in May 1963 and the wreckage was eventually found on May 29, 1963. It was reported the aircraft struck the ground in a 70-80° nose down attitude and disintegrated on impact. Debris were found 200 meters around the point of impact, the engines were found three meters deep into the earth and a part of the right elevator was found 1 km from the main wreckage. The accident was not survivable.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of a loss of control in flight due to an excessive accumulation of ice on the aircraft. The following factors were considered as contributing:
- The operator decided to dispatch a crew who was not familiar with such weather conditions (icing conditions),
- The inexperience of the crew,
- Poor flight organization,
- Lack of coordination between Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk control center,
- Lack of assistance from ATC who did not authorized the crew to climb above 2,700 meters where the weather conditions were more suitable.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14 in Irkoutsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 18, 1956 at 1442 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L5658
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moscow – Sverdlovsk – Novosibirsk – Irkutsk
MSN:
1460 009 42
YOM:
2
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
29
Circumstances:
After being manufactured at Frunze, the aircraft was on a delivery flight from Moscow to Irkutsk with intermediate stops at Sverdlovsk and Novosibirsk. On final approach to Irkutsk-Intl Airport, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions when the airplane hit the ground 1,315 meters short of runway, bounced, struck a fence and eventually came to rest in a prairie located 550 meters short of runway threshold. The copilot was killed while four other occupants were slightly injured. The aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The flight engineer misinterpreted some instruments settings he failed to transmit to the flying crew in due time. Lack of coordination between pilots was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Barzas: 20 killed

Date & Time: May 27, 1953 at 1950 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4534
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Irkutsk – Krasnoyarsk – Novosibirsk
MSN:
184 290 05
YOM:
30
Flight number:
SU018
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
20
Aircraft flight hours:
3882
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Krasnoyarsk Airport at 1755LT bound for Novosibirsk with an assigned altitude of 2,100 meters. At 1840LT, a second Lisunov LI-2T registered CCCP-A4031 left Novosibirsk Airport bound for Kemerovo with a crew of seven who were involved in an aerial photography mission. While approaching Kemerovo, the captain of the first LI-2 modified his route and flight level without prior permission and passed north of Kemerovo. In excellent weather conditions, while cruising at an altitude of 1,800 meters to a heading of 270° and facing the sun, the first LI-2 was hit on its right wing and right engine by the second LI-2 that was flying from the opposite. Following the collision, both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a wooded area located 16,5 km west of Barzas. Debris were found on a greater distance than 600 meters and all 27 occupants on both aircraft were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the pilot of the LI-2 registered CCCP-L4534 deliberately decided to modify his flight path and flight level without prior permission from ATC. Doing so, he flew into the flight path of the second aircraft that was flying to a heading of 90°. It was reported that the pilot at fault had been degraded to the co-pilot position in July 1952 due to lack of discipline and loss of direction. He had returned to his captain position last February despite serious shortcomings in piloting techniques. The low position of the sun was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2T near Barzas: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 27, 1953 at 1950 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-A4031
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Novosibirsk - Kemerovo
MSN:
184 326 05
YOM:
30
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Aircraft flight hours:
1268
Circumstances:
A first Lisunov LI-2 left Krasnoyarsk Airport at 1755LT bound for Novosibirsk with an assigned altitude of 2,100 meters. At 1840LT, a second Lisunov LI-2T registered CCCP-A4031 left Novosibirsk Airport bound for Kemerovo with a crew of seven who were involved in an aerial photography mission. While approaching Kemerovo, the captain of the first LI-2 modified his route and flight level without prior permission and passed north of Kemerovo. In excellent weather conditions, while cruising at an altitude of 1,800 meters to a heading of 270° and facing the sun, the first LI-2 was hit on its right wing and right engine by the second LI-2 that was flying from the opposite. Following the collision, both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a wooded area located 16,5 km west of Barzas. Debris were found on a greater distance than 600 meters and all 27 occupants on both aircraft were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the pilot of the LI-2 registered CCCP-L4534 deliberately decided to modify his flight path and flight level without prior permission from ATC. Doing so, he flew into the flight path of the second aircraft that was flying to a heading of 90°. It was reported that the pilot at fault had been degraded to the co-pilot position in July 1952 due to lack of discipline and loss of direction. He had returned to his captain position last February despite serious shortcomings in piloting techniques. The low position of the sun was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Belogorsk: 7 killed

Date & Time: Sep 28, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4673
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Khabarovsk – Krasnoyarsk – Novosibirsk – Tashkent
MSN:
66 05
YOM:
1949
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a flight from Khabarovsk to Tashkent with intermediate stops in Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk, carrying a crew of six and one passenger, a Soviet Army Officer. The airplane left Krasnoyarsk Airport at 1822LT bound for Novosibirsk. En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds and rain falls. While cruising at an altitude of 1,500 meters in the clouds, the crew encountered icing conditions and obtained the permission to descend to 900 meters. As the aircraft failed to arrive in Novosibirsk, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the seven occupants was found. The wreckage was found 15 years later, in 1967, on the northwestern slope of Mt Kuznetsky Alatau (1,037 meters high) located in the region of Belogorsk. According to investigations, it appears the aircraft hit tree tops, flew about 70 meters and crashed in flames in a wooded area at an altitude of 710 meters. The airplane disintegrated on impact and was consumed by a post crash fire. All seven occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the accident occurred when the crew was attempting an emergency landing due to severe icing conditions.

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

Date & Time: Apr 25, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1312
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Novosibirsk - Novosibirsk
MSN:
30018
YOM:
14
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Aircraft flight hours:
1923
Circumstances:
The crew left Novosibirsk-Severny Airport at 1400LT for a local training flight. At that time, weather conditions were poor with overcast at 200 meters, rain showers, visibility less than three km and icing conditions in clouds. While flying into the clouds at an altitude estimated between 1,200 and 1,250 meters with the left engine inoperative, the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane that turned to the left, dove into the ground and crashed in flames few km from the airport. A crew member was injured while eight other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, it was reported that the left engine was inoperative at impact and that the propeller was feathered, a configuration apparently intended by the crew and part of the training program.