Zhdanov

Twelve minutes after its takeoff from Zhdanov Airport (Mariupol), while cruising at an altitude of 4,200 meters on a flight to Voroshilovgrad, the crew informed ATC about stability problems while some instruments were unserviceable. The aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and 38 seconds later, at an altitude of 2,750 meters, it disintegrated in the air and eventually crashed in a field located near Donetsk. All 3 crew members and the sole passenger (the commander of VVVAUSh) were killed.

On approach to Zhdanov Airport, while descending between the outer marker and the inner marker, the pilot-in-command decided to continue under VFR mode while the SP-50 ILS system was not yet activated. While approaching the inner marker, the three engine airplane entered an area of fog when visual contact was lost. At an insufficient height, the airplane struck a 9-meter high concrete pole with its right wing that was partially torn off. The aircraft caught fire, rolled to the right at an angle of 90° then crashed 420 meters further. The wreckage was found 610 meters short of runway threshold and 140 meters to the right of its extended centerline. Three crew members and five passengers were killed while 20 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

The crew was completing a test flight on this seaplane that was built 30 June 1960 and should be delivered to the Soviet Navy shortly. In flight, the right engine was voluntarily shut down in accordance with the test program. Shortly later, the crew mistakenly shut down the left engine and forgot to feather the propeller. Due to high drag and lost of thrust, the airplane lost height and eventually stalled before crashing into the Azov sea off Zhdanov. Two crew members were rescued while three others were killed.