Vanavara | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Following an uneventful flight from Vanavara, the crew started the descent by night to Tura Airport. Weather conditions were marginal with a visibility of 3,500 metres and light snow. After being cleared to land, the crew continued the approach. At a speed of 160 km/h, the crew initiated a right turn. In a 10° nose down and a right bank of 40°, the aircraft impacted trees and crashed in a snow covered forest located 9,6 km southeast of the airport. The wreckage was found a day later near the Bazhenov River and all nine occupants were killed, among them the regional director of the Department of Transport and the vice-governor of the Evenkiya region.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain following a wrong altimeter setting. The lack of visibility was a contributing factor.

Crash of an Antonov AN-32A in Baykit

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1996 at 1306 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-32

Operator:

Yeniseiski Meridian

Registration:

RA-48104

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Tura – Vanavara – Baykit – Yeniseysk

MSN:

16 02

YOM:

1988

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was damaged beyond repair when it veered off runway and the crew tried to get back on the runway without help. The aircraft went out of control, crossed the runway and hit the mast of a powerline and a parapet with more than 3.5 g, suffering structural damage. All 5 crew members and 22 passengers (19 of them illegal ones) escaped unhurt.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 near Vanavara: 28 killed

Date & Time: Sep 26, 1994 at 1738 LT

Type of aircraft:

Yakovlev Yak-40

Operator:

Cheremshanka Airlines

Registration:

RA-87468

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Krasnoyarsk - Tura

MSN:

9 44 13 37

YOM:

1974

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

22203

Aircraft flight cycles:

17220

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Krasnoyarsk, the crew was approaching Tura Airport when he encountered poor weather conditions and limited visibility upon arrival. Unable to establish a visual contact with the runway, the crew decided to initiate a go-around and followed a holding pattern. Two other approaches were abandoned during the following minutes. Eventually, the crew decided to divert to Vanavara Airport which is located 450 km southeast of Tura. Following a total flight time of 3 hours and 45 minutes, while descending to Vanavara Airport, all three engines stopped simultaneously. The captain attempted an emergency landing in a cleared area when the aircraft struck trees at a speed of 235 km/h. Out of control, it crashed on the shore of the Chamba river, coming to rest upside down. The wreckage was found 41 km north-northwest of Vanavara and all 28 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that all three engine failed simultaneously due to a fuel exhaustion. Following a poor flight planning, the crew decided to chose Vanavara as the alternate airport (450 km from Tura) while the airport of Baykit was located 110 km from Tura and weather conditions were good at this time.
The following contributing factors were reported:
- The crew incorrectly calculated the total amount of fuel necessary for the request flight and the alternate airport,
- The crew was unaware of the deterioration of the weather conditions in Tura after the ground personnel based at Tura Airport failed to conduct efficient observations and inform the crew accordingly,
- The deviation, allowed by crew during the first straight-in approach, which was caused, probably, by short-term de-energizing of the Outer Marker beacon and by incorrect determination by the crew of removal to VPP under these conditions,
- Failure of the crew to monitor the approach pattern parameters during the second and third approaches to Tura Airport in below minimums visibility,
- The crew started the descent to Vanavara Airport prematurely following a wrong flight altitude selection.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 in Vanavara

Date & Time: Mar 24, 1983

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-29367

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Oskoba - Vanavara

MSN:

1G78-09

YOM:

1967

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While approaching Vanavara, the aircraft lost height and crashed in a wooded area located few km from the airfield. There were no casualties.

Probable cause:

Loss of control following an engine failure in flight for unknown reasons.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 near Vanavara: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 1, 1975 at 1152 LT

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-41299

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Strelka-Chunya – Vanavara

MSN:

1G64-14

YOM:

1965

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

7883

Aircraft flight cycles:

13808

Circumstances:

After some materials have been delivered in Strelka-Chunya, the crew departed Strelka-Chunya at 1126LT on a ferry flight to Vanavara. Weather was quite fine with a visibility of 6-10 km with light snow and an OAT of -25°. En route, the single engine airplane struck trees and crashed in a wooded area. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated and the wreckage was found two hours later about 78 km north of Vanavara. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. The engine was developing normal power at impact and no technical issues were found on the airplane or its components. Moreover, there were no failure or any errors on part of the crew. It is the opinion of the board that the accident was probably the consequence of an in-flight collision with a foreign object as traces of blood were found on the windshield and the floor of the airplane and that the crew did not send any distress call.