Yelets | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was returning to Yelets following a supply mission to the soldiers based in Vzdruzhnoye, beyond the enemy lines. The approach to Yelets Airport was attempted by night and poor visibility. The crew completed three circuits around the airport when the pilot in command lost control of the aircraft that crashed near the runway threshold. Three crew members and both passengers were killed while two other occupants were seriously injured.

Probable cause:

Loss of control during an approach attempted in below-minima weather conditions.

Crash of a Polikarpov PR-5 near Yelets: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov PR-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L3339

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Moscow - Yelets

MSN:

226

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances while on a flight from Moscow-Myachkovo and Yelets. Lost without trace.

Crash of a Polikarpov SP in Yelets: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 25, 1942 at 0526 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov Po-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L2586

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Postal (mail)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Yelets - Tchern

MSN:

12896

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1857

Circumstances:

The pilot departed Yelets Airport at 0520LT on a mail flight to Tchern. About six minutes later, while cruising in poor visibility due to marginal weather conditions, he lost control of the airplane that entered a dive and crashed. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Probable cause:

Failure of the pilot who initiated the flight in the early morning without sufficient visibility and his decision to continue under VFR instead of IFR mode.

Crash of a Polikarpov S-3 near Tchern: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 17, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov Po-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-A1149

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Ambulance

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Tchern - Yelets

MSN:

14322

YOM:

1939

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While on an ambulance flight from Tchern to Yelets, carrying two wounded soldiers and one pilot, the airplane was shot down by a German fighter and crashed. All three occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Putilov Stal-3 in Nizhne Kazache: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1937 at 1047 LT

Type of aircraft:

Putilov Stal-3

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1232

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Moscow – Yelets – Voronezh – Astrakhan

MSN:

232

YOM:

1936

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

489

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Moscow on a flight to Astrakhan with intermediate stops in Yelets and Voronezh, carrying three passengers, two crew members and a load of 319 kg of mail. About 15 minutes after takeoff from Yelets Airport, while cruising at an altitude of 660 metres, the engine started to fail. The captain reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing in a rye field when the airplane impacted an embankment, lost its undercarriage and crashed. All five occupants were injured, the mechanic seriously. He died the next day from his injuries.

Probable cause:

The engine failure resulted from the destruction of the connecting rods on cylinders n°2 and 6 due to the fact that the fuel used had a too low octane rate and that the oil was not compliant.