Zhigalovo | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

After takeoff from Zhigalovo Airstrip, the pilot initiated a turn at low height when the airplane struck tree tops and crashed in flames in a wooded area by the Lena River. The occupant's fate remains unknown but the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew failed to follow the departure published procedures and initiated a turn below the minimum safe altitude of 600 meters. Also, the total weight of the aircraft was 250 kg above the MTOW.

Crash of a Polikarpov PO-2S near Zhigalovo: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 26, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov Po-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-K320

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Ambulance

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Irkutsk - Balagansk - Zhigalovo - Ust-Kut - Nizhne-Ilimsk

MSN:

16770

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Irkutsk Airport to transfer a patient to Nizhne-Ilimsk with intermediate stops in Balagansk, Zhigalovo and Ust-Kut. After passing a night at Balagansk, the pilot continued on December 26 to Zhigalovo. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but eventually abandoned after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the three occupants was found. It is believed that the pilot encountered poor visibility due to fog while approaching Zhigalovo, missed the airfield and probably deviated by approximately 150 km in the area of the Kirenga River. Eventually, the airplane may have crashed due to fuel exhaustion. The wreckage was never found.