Zaporozhye | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Consequently to the recent invasion by the Russian Army of the east part of Ukraine, the decision was taken to transfer the airplane from Zaporozhye to Uzhgorod. The airplane departed Zaporozhye Airport shortly before 1000LT with a crew of three on board. Few minutes after takeoff, the crew encountered poor visibility due to fog. While cruising at a very low altitude, the airplane collided with a power line and crashed in an open field located in Mykhailivka, some 10 km northwest of Zaporozhye Airport. A crew member was killed and two others were injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed. It was reported that during the 90 days prior to the accident, the captain had just flown for 85 minutes while the copilot and the flight engineer had not made any flights.

Probable cause:

The cause of the aviation incident (collision of an airworthy aircraft with an obstacle) was the decision of the captain to carry out the flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) conditions in foggy weather at a critically low altitude, leading to the loss of visual contact with the ground, uncontrolled increase in speed, and the aircraft colliding with a power transmission line.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- The flight crew's failure to decide to switch to instrument flight and climb to a safe flight altitude when encountering weather conditions that did not meet the visual meteorological flight conditions.
- Likely use of altimeters by the flight crew to maintain flight altitude in meters when the altimeter mode was set to indicate altitude in feet.
- The decision of the flight crew to fly at critically low altitudes with the radio altimeter and GPWS turned off.
- The flight crew's failure to follow the departure procedure from the aerodrome area under VFR, which was discussed in detail by the flight crew during pre-flight briefings.
- Deterioration of weather conditions after takeoff.
- Low crew resource management (CRM) skills.
- Retraction of flaps in a turn at an altitude lower than recommended and at a speed higher than recommended for the An-26 aircraft.
- The complex emotional state of the crew during both preparation and execution of the flight due to combat actions conducted by the Russian Federation near the departure aerodrome.
- Conducting the flight without meteorological support, which contradicts aviation regulations.
- The absence of procedures for conducting flights under VFR at low and critically low altitudes for An-26 aircraft in the operator's manuals.

Final Report:

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 near Zaporozhie: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1976 at 1308 LT

Type of aircraft:

Yakovlev Yak-40

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-87638

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Zaporozhie - Zaporozhie

MSN:

9 14 19 19

YOM:

1971

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

5762

Aircraft flight cycles:

6627

Circumstances:

The crew departed Zaporozhie Airport at 1257LT on a local training flight. About 11 minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 2,100 metres in marginal weather conditions, the crew informed ATC that he was losing height when the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a 25-30° nose down attitude and a 6° left bank in a field located 20 km northwest of Zaporozhie Airport and 1,400 metres from the Novogupalovka Station. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all five occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

Loss of control due to insufficient speed while the crew was practicing stabilizer trim change. The aircraft stalled due to poor piloting techniques and a probable wrong interpretation of the indicator airspeed value.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Zaporozhie

Date & Time: Jan 28, 1975

Type of aircraft:

Yakovlev Yak-40

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-87825

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Zaporozhie - Ternopol

MSN:

9 24 17 24

YOM:

1972

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was cleared of snow prior to departure but as it was snowing continuously, the aircraft was again covered by snow between the moment it was deiced and the takeoff procedure. During the takeoff roll in poor weather conditions (snowfall and poor visibility), the pilot-in-command started the rotation. The aircraft lifted off and climbed for few meters when the left wing dropped, causing the left main gear to struck the runway surface. The airplane landed back and the crew decided to attempt an emergency braking procedure. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran and the left wing collided with the building of a meteorological post located 25 metres behind the runway threshold. All 3 crew and 14 passengers escaped unhurt.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the aircraft was contaminated with snow during the takeoff procedure and that the stabs were positioned in a -5,9° angle instead of the prescribed -3,9°.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-18V in Leningrad: 109 killed

Date & Time: Apr 27, 1974 at 1807 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-18

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-75559

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Leningrad - Zaporozhie - Krasnodar

MSN:

186 0077 03

YOM:

1966

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

102

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

109

Aircraft flight hours:

18358

Aircraft flight cycles:

7501

Circumstances:

Less than three minutes after takeoff from Leningrad-Pulkovo Airport, while in initial climb, the crew informed ATC about the failure of the engine n°4, declared an emergency and was cleared to return. About three minutes later, the engine n°4 caught fire and exploded. On final, the airplane went out of control, nosed down by an angle of 60° and crashed in a huge explosion in an open field located 2,480 meters short of runway. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and most of the debris were found 242 meters to the right of the extended centerline. None of the 109 occupants survived the crash.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the third stage of the high pressure turbine disintegrated two minutes and 53 seconds after takeoff. The engine then exploded three minutes later and some debris impacted the right aileron that was jammed in a down position while the left aileron was in a up position. This asymmetric situation contributed to the loss of control on short final.

Crash of an Avia 14P in Zaporozhie: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1970

Type of aircraft:

Avia 14

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-52002

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Tbilisi - Rostov-on-Don - Zaporozhie

MSN:

018 602 111

YOM:

1957

Flight number:

SU2903

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

21213

Aircraft flight cycles:

22259

Circumstances:

The descent to Zaporozhie Airport was initiated in marginal weather conditions but with a visibility estimated to 4 km, above the minima. On final approach, the airplane was not properly aligned on the glide and the captain failed to follow the instructions transmitted by ATC and the warnings from his navigator. Eventually, while at an altitude of 40 meters, he elected to make a go around, increased engine power and started a turn to the right but it was too late. The airplane struck the ground and crashed in a field located short of runway. A crew member and six passengers were killed while 28 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The captain started the approach prematurely, causing the aircraft to descent below the glide at an insufficient altitude. He neglected several procedures, ATC instructions and other crew members warning until the airplane struck the ground and crashed. Poor flight crew coordination and communication was considered as a contributing factor. Weather conditions were marginal with limited visibility but above the minima.

Crash of a Tupolev ANT-9 in Zaporozhie: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 27, 1937 at 0850 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-9 (PS-9)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L176

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Simferopol – Zaporozhie – Moscow

MSN:

177

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2268

Circumstances:

A NKPO PL-5 registered CCCP-I93 departed Zaporozhie Airport on a flight to Moscow with two passengers and two crew members. Few minutes after takeoff, for unknown reasons, the crew decided to return tp Zaporozhie. In the mean time, an Aeroflot Tupolev ANT-9 was ready for a flight to Moscow, the second leg of a schedule service from Simferopol to Moscow, carrying nine passengers and two crew members. For unknown reasons, the crew of the PL-5 decided to land without permission as well as the crew of the ANT-9 started the takeoff procedure on the same runway without permission. Both airplanes collided on the runway and burst into flames. Three passengers on board the ANT-9 were injured while 8 others occupants were killed. Few hours later, one of the survivor died from his injuries. On board the PL-5, two people were killed and two others were injured.

Probable cause:

The collision was the consequence of a series of omissions, errors and violations on part of both crews who failed to follow the published procedures, starting a landing manoeuvre and a take off manoeuvre without any clearance. Poor flight supervision and organisation by the airport authority was considered as a contributing factor.

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