Zone
Abkhazia

Crash of an Antonov AN-24RV off Sukhumi: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 8, 1977 at 2139 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-24
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-46847
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Sukhumi - Kirovograd
MSN:
27307505
YOM:
1972
Location:
Sukhumi-Babushara
Abkhazia
Country:
Georgia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Aircraft flight hours:
5698
Aircraft flight cycles:
16941
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a training flight from Kirovograd to Sukhumi and back to Kirovograd. Following a night takeoff from Sukhumi-Babushara Airport, while climbing at an altitude of 120 meters and a speed of 250 km/h, the crew raised the flaps when the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent until it struck at a speed of 370 km/h the water surface and crashed into the Black Sea about 690 meters offshore. A crew member was rescued while six other occupants were killed. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and sank.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, the assumption that the pilot-in-command suffered a spatial disorientation was not ruled out.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24RV on Mt Apshara: 38 killed

Date & Time: Nov 17, 1975 at 2214 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-24
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-46467
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Tbilisi - Batumi - Sukhumi - Krasnodar
MSN:
27307905
YOM:
1972
Flight number:
SU6274
Location:
Mt Apshara
Abkhazia
Country:
Georgia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
33
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
38
Aircraft flight hours:
7335
Aircraft flight cycles:
6878
Circumstances:
En route from Batumi to Sukhumi, weather conditions worsened and the crew was cleared to modify his route to avoid the low pressure are to the north. Few minutes later, the crew was cleared to descend to 2,400 meters. While cruising at a speed of 410 km/h in limited visibility due to the night and marginal weather conditions, the airplane struck the south slope of Mt Apshara (2,580 meters high) located about 26 km northeast of Gali, Abkhazia. The wreckage was found few hours later and all 38 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the accident was the consequence of a series of negligences and wrong decisions on part of ATC who cleared the crew to descent to an unsafe altitude of 2,400 meters while the minimum safe altitude for the area was 3,600 meters. This was made possible by several errors in the track calculation after the crew has been cleared to avoid the low pressure area but his position was 25 km too far from the prescribed flight path at that moment. The crew failed to take the appropriate measures to know his proper position which was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of an Avia 14P near Kutaisi: 32 killed

Date & Time: Aug 24, 1963 at 1053 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avia 14
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-61617
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Tbilisi – Kutaisi – Sukhumi – Krasnodar
MSN:
014 602 107
YOM:
1957
Flight number:
SU663
Location:
Kutaisi
Imereti
Country:
Georgia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
27
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
32
Aircraft flight hours:
11682
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Kutaisi, the crew decided to continue under VFR rules despite a limited visibility due to heavy rain falls. In such conditions, the crew did not realize he deviated about 13 km from the prescribed departure route and was cruising at an insufficient altitude. Eight minutes after its departure, while cruising at an altitude of 900 meters, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located 7 km north of Gereshkori, about 32 km northwest of Kutaisi. The wreckage was found a day later and all 32 occupants were killed, among them three stowaways.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew decided to continue under VFR mode in IMC conditions. At the time of the accident, weather and visibility were poor. The lack of ATC assistance and inaccurate weather information transmitted to the crew were considered as contributing factors.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14P in Tkvarcheli: 31 killed

Date & Time: Jun 10, 1960 at 1055 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-14
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-91571
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Rostov-on-Don – Krasnodar – Sochi – Sukhumi – Kutaisi – Tbilisi
MSN:
7 34 31 07
YOM:
7
Flight number:
SU207
Location:
Tkvarcheli
Abkhazia
Country:
Georgia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
24
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
31
Aircraft flight hours:
5423
Circumstances:
After his departure from Sukhumi Airport, the crew continued to the southeast bound for Kutaisi at an altitude of 1,200 meters when poor weather conditions were encountered with clouds from 600 to 1,000 meters. Following a navigation error, the aircraft deviated 17 km to the north when it struck trees and crashed in flames on the north slope of Mt Rech (1,436 meters high) located near Tkvarcheli. The wreckage was found a day later. The airplane was completely destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 31 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the accident was the consequence of a navigation error on part of the crew, causing the aircraft to be off track by 17 km to the north. The following factors were considered as contributing:
- The crew was hastily fixed the day prior to the accident on a complexe routing,
- In spite of this complexity, the operations of the company failed to join a navigator to the crew, either a mechanic,
- Poor flight preparation,
- Poor weather assessment,
- The crew failed to make fix point after his departure from Sukhumi,
- Absence of radio monitoring on part of the Sukhumi services,
- Meteorologists failed to inform the pilots about the wind component and the weather conditions along the route,
- Shortcomings were noted with ATC services as the person in charge to follow the plane was a trainee who was not authorized to work independently. It was noted that for 20 minutes (a period corresponding to a distance of 100 km), the crew did not receive any ATC messages about his position or flight path.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14P off Sukhumi: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 22, 1956 at 2050 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-14
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1718
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Moscow-Vnukovo – Kharkiv – Rostov-on-Don – Sukhumi – Kutaisi – Tbilisi
MSN:
1460 002 02
YOM:
14
Flight number:
SU227
Location:
Sukhumi-Babushara
Abkhazia
Country:
Georgia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Aircraft flight hours:
19
Aircraft flight cycles:
12
Circumstances:
Less than one minute after takeoff from Sukhumi Airport by night, while climbing to a height of 60 meters, the aircraft adopted a pitch-down attitude and eventually crashed into the sea about 3 km off shore. The airplane sank by 15 meters deep and all six occupants were killed. The aircraft was carrying a load of 2,117 kilos of mail.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be established with certainty. However, the assumption the pilot could be blinded by a beam was not ruled out.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Samurskaya: 18 killed

Date & Time: Oct 25, 1948 at 1401 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4500
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Krasnodar – Karachayevsk – Sukhumi – Tbilisi
MSN:
184 296 08
YOM:
1948
Location:
Samurskaya
Krasnodar Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
18
Aircraft flight hours:
616
Circumstances:
The aircraft landed in Karachayevsk Airport at 0905LT and the crew took a break for lunch and drank vodka with some airport's officials. The aircraft took off from Karachayevsk at 1230LT bound for Sukhumi, overloaded by 366 kilos. After takeoff, the crew modified his route and continued to the northwest instead of southwest. While flying over mountainous terrain, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds, strong winds and icing. Few minutes later, the aircraft was caught by downdraft, hit two trees on the slope of a mountain, lost its both wings and eventually crashed into a precipice 80 meters down. As the airplane failed to arrive in Sukhumi, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 18 occupants was found. On August 8, 1949, walkers found the wreckage of the aircraft at the altitude of 1,610 meters in a wooded area. Nobody survived.
Probable cause:
If was determined that the the pilots drank alcohol prior to departure and that the aircraft was overloaded. En route, the crew took the decision to change his route several times, violating existing regulations. Poor operational planning, inadequate flight management and lack of assistance on part of the Georgian ATC were considered as contributory factors.

Crash of a Dornier Do B Merkur in Sukhumi: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 12, 1929 at 1347 LT
Type of aircraft:
Dornier Do B Merkur
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-211
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Sukhumi - Kharkiv
MSN:
100
YOM:
1926
Location:
Sukhumi-Babushara
Abkhazia
Country:
Georgia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
675
Circumstances:
Last July 14, the aircraft suffered an incident while taking off from Sukhumi Airport after the undercarriage impacted a fence. The airplane was repaired and a series of test was completed before the aircraft would be released for service. At 1337LT, the crew departed Sukhumi Airport on a positioning flight to Kharkiv but encountered engine problems shortly after takeoff. The captain decided to return but on short final, at a height of 80 metres, he initiated a go-around when the aircraft stalled and crashed in a street located about 350 metres from the runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the airplane stalled from a height of about 80 metres while making a sharp turn at low speed. It is believed that the engine partially failed after takeoff, probably because the radiator was not properly repaired.

Crash of a Kalinin K-4 off Sukhumi: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1929
Type of aircraft:
Kalinin K-4
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-219
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Ferry
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Sukhumi – Kharkiv
MSN:
110
YOM:
1929
Location:
Sukhumi-Babushara
Abkhazia
Country:
Georgia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff, during initial climb, one of the engine failed. The crew decided to return to Sukhumi and while completing a last turn, he lost control of the airplane that stalled and crashed in the sea. Both crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure during initial climb.

Crash of a Junkers F.13 in Tbilissi: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1925
Type of aircraft:
Junkers F.13
Operator:
Zakavia
Registration:
RR-ECA
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Tbilisi - Sukhumi
MSN:
590
YOM:
1920
Location:
Tbilisi
Tbilisi City District
Country:
Georgia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Shortly after take off from Tbilisi Airport, the single engine aircraft went out of control and crashed, bursting into flames. All five occupants were killed, among them three official of the Georgian Government en route to a Soviet Congress in Sukhumi.
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