Sukhumi-Babushara

While parked at Sukhumi-Babushara Airport, the aircraft was struck by a mortar shell, caught fire and exploded. The captain was killed and 29 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

On final approach to Sukhumi-Babushara Airport, the aircraft was shot down by a surface-to-air missile and crashed near the runway threshold, bursting into flames. 24 people survived while 108 others were killed. All passengers were Georgian soldiers and policeman dispatched to Sukhumi.

The aircraft was completing a charter flight from Sochi to Sukhumi, carrying foreign and Russian journalists. On final approach to Babushara Airport, at a height of 300 metres, the aircraft was hit by a surface-to-air Strela missile and crashed in the bay of Sukhumi about 4 km offshore. All 27 occupants were killed.

Following an uneventful flight from Sukhumi, the crew initiate the approach to Leningrad-Pulkovo Airport in heavy rain falls. At a distance of 7 km on approach, at an altitude of 400 meters and at a speed of 287 km/h, flaps were deployed to an angle of 45°. Fifteen seconds laters, at a distance of 5,700 meters, the crew was cleared to land and continued the approach when the aircraft passed below the glide. With a rate of descent of 7 meters per second and at a speed of 250 km/h, the aircraft struck the ground 13 meters short of runway threshold in a 1° nose down attitude and with a positive acceleration of 4,5 g. The aircraft broke in three parts and came to rest 80 meters to the left of the runway. 13 passengers were killed, 38 other occupants were injured and 130 escaped uninjured.

14 seconds after liftoff from runway 10 at Poti Airport, while climbing to a height of 60 meters at a speed of 195 km/h, both engines lost 60% of power. While the power on the left engine increased to 94,5% 11 seconds later, the power on the right engine dropped to zero. The crew elected to feather the right propeller but this was not possible. The airplane lost height, started a descent and slightly turned to the right when, at a speed of 130 km/h, it struck 20 meters high trees and crashed in a wooded area located 450 meters past the runway end. Two pilots and four passengers were killed while 12 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

At 1808LT, the crew was cleared for takeoff from Sukhumi-Babushara runway 02. During the takeoff run, 26 seconds after it started to roll, at a speed of 195 km/h, the crew sighted a Let L-410M entering the runway. Registered CCCP-67191, the Let L-410 was engaged in a scheduled service (flight SU73G) to Kutaisi with two pilots and nine passengers on board. The captain of the Tupolev decided to abandon the takeoff maneuver and initiated an emergency braking procedure. Spoilers were deployed and revers systems were activated. He elected to turn to the left to reach an exit taxiway. In the same time, the crew of the Let saw the Tupolev coming from their right and increased engine power to move forward. Seven seconds after the crew of the Tupolev rejected takeoff, at a speed of 216 km/h, the right wing of the Tupolev struck the Let that was destroyed upon impact. The Tupolev rolled for about 514 meters then veered off runway to the left and came to rest 48 meters to the left of its centerline. All 82 people on board the TU-134 escaped uninjured while all 11 people on board the Let were killed.

The Let L-410 departed the terminal and was approaching the runway to depart for a schedule service to Kutaisi, carrying nine passengers and a crew of two. At 1808LT, the crew of an Aeroflot Tupolev TU-134 registered CCCP-65836 was cleared for takeoff from runway 02. En route to Moscow-Vnukovo, the Tupolev was carrying 76 passengers and a crew of six. During the takeoff run, 26 seconds after it started to roll, at a speed of 195 km/h, the crew of the TU-134 sighted a Let L-410M entering the runway. The captain of the Tupolev decided to abandon the takeoff maneuver and initiated an emergency braking procedure. Spoilers were deployed and revers systems were activated. He elected to turn to the left to reach an exit taxiway. In the same time, the crew of the Let saw the Tupolev coming from their right and increased engine power to move forward. Seven seconds after the crew of the Tupolev rejected takeoff, at a speed of 216 km/h, the right wing of the Tupolev struck the Let that was destroyed upon impact. The Tupolev rolled for about 514 meters then veered off runway to the left and came to rest 48 meters to the left of its centerline. All 82 people on board the TU-134 escaped uninjured while all 11 people on board the Let were killed.

The twin engine airplane departed Gelendzhik Airport at 1325LT on a schedule service to Sukhumi, Georgia, carrying 16 passengers and two pilots. Weather at that time was marginal with rain falls and a relative low ceiling. Four minutes after takeoff, at 1329LT, the crew informed ATC he was leaving the airport area and his position was about 12 km from the airport at an altitude of 450 meters. Six minutes later, while flying in clouds, the airplane struck trees and crashed in a wooded area located 22 km southeast of Gelendzhik Airport, bursting into flames. The burned wreckage was found three days later, on January 10, near Praskoveyevka, at an altitude of 350 meters. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 18 occupants were killed.

The day prior to the accident, the aircraft was supposed to fly from Riga to Sochi but the flight was diverted to Sukhumi due to poor weather at destination. On the morning of January 6, the crew completed a positioning flight from Sukhumi to Sochi-Adler without any passengers on board. Following a wrong approach configuration, the aircraft landed at an excessive speed and after touchdown, the crew failed to use the brakes properly. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran and came to a halt. All six crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The single engine airplane departed the grassy runway at Pskhu Airport at 0925LT on a regular schedule service to Sukhumi and the crew was cleared to climb to 2,100 meters. About 15 minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 1,450 meters in good weather conditions, the airplane went out of control, struck tree tops and crashed in flames in a wooded area located on the slope of Mt Dzishra (2,623 meters high) located 6 km south of the airfield. The aircraft was totally destroyed by fire and all nine occupants were killed.