Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 near Kharat: 13 killed

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1978 at 1307 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-32323
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Irkutsk - Kharantsy - Onguren
MSN:
1G97-35
YOM:
1968
Flight number:
SU137B
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Aircraft flight hours:
8161
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane departed Irkutsk-Magan Airport at 1236LT on a flight to Onguren with an intermediate stop in Kharantsy. At 1303LT, the crew informed ground about his position, flying at an altitude of 1,500 meters. Four minutes later, while cruising in marginal weather conditions, the airplane pitched down and crashed in a nose down attitude of 75° in a wooded area located 15 km east of the village of Kharat. As the radio contact was lost and the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but the wreckage was found a week later only, on September 8, in a hilly and wooded area, at an altitude of 785 meters. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 13 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined. There were no technical anomalies with the airplane that most probably lost height after being caught by downdrafts coming from a cumulonimbus.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 near Ekimchan: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 13, 1978 at 0942 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-55719
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Ekimchan - Baladek
MSN:
1G49-11
YOM:
1964
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
12141
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane was completing a flight from Ekimchan to Baladek, carrying one passenger, two pilots and five drums loaded with diesel for a total weight of one ton. Seven minutes and 10 seconds after takeoff from Ekimchan, while flying at an altitude of 720 meters, the engine lost power. The airplane lost height, entered a nose down attitude of 18° then struck a hill. Both pilots were injured and the passenger was killed. The airplane was destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the engine failure could not be determined with certainty. However, investigators believe that the fuel pump and a collector probably failed in flight.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2T in Golotl

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-79968
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Golotl - Makhachkala
MSN:
1 172 473 16
YOM:
1962
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Golotl, en route to Makhachkala, the engine failed, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing. There were no injuries while the aircraft was written off.
Probable cause:
Engine failure for undetermined reasons.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Vladivostok

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-09616
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Vladivostok - Vladivostok
MSN:
1G74-37
YOM:
1966
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a crop-spraying mission in the region of Vladivostok when control was lost and the aircraft crashed in a field. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Loss of control caused by negligence on part of the crew who failed to follow the prescribed procedures.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 in Kuybyshev

Date & Time: Jun 8, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-92974
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1G171-31
YOM:
1976
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While flying at low height, the crew lost control of the airplane that crashed in flames in an open field. Both occupants were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Loss of control after the crew got distracted.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-144D in Kladkovo: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 23, 1978 at 1855 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-77111
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Ramenskoye - Ramenskoye
MSN:
10 06 2
YOM:
1978
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
9
Aircraft flight cycles:
5
Circumstances:
Built by the Voronezh Aircraft Factory, the airplane came out of the plant last April 27. Test flights were conducted on April 27, May 12, 16 and 18. On May 23, the crew completed a fifth test flight from 1111LT and 1307LT without any incidents. At 1730LT, the crew departed Ramenskoye Airport near Moscow to proceed to a series of various tests on engines, generators, to evaluate the airtightness of the cabin as well as the stability and the controllability of the aircraft at an altitude of 12,000 meters. When all these checks were completed, the crew reduced his altitude to 3,000 meters then carried out the test of the auxiliary power unit (APU). For the next two minutes, engines n°3 and 4 were shut down in accordance with the test program. About a minute after the shutdown of the engine n°4, a burning smell was felt in the cabin and smoke spread through the air conditioning system, followed by a black and thick smoke. The captain decided to return to his departure point but quickly realized that this would be impossible. He reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing in a pasture. At a speed of 380 km/h, at an estimated height of four to six meters, the airplane struck and cut between 70 and 100 trees before falling to the ground. It then slid for about 620 meters before coming to rest in flames, some 46 kilometers southeast of Ramenskoye runway 30 threshold. Six crew members were rescued while two engineers were killed.
Probable cause:
According to the investigating committee, a fuel line broke up 27 minutes before engine start. This allowed eight tons of fuel to leak into several compartments of the right wing and a fire erupted when the auxiliary power unit was triggered. All various analysis carried out by investigators did not make it possible to determine precisely the causes of the fuel leakage by the fact that all the incriminated components were totally destroyed by a post crash fire. However, experts believe that it is likely that the leak would be the result of the failure of a fuel system hose connected to the engine n°1.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-154B in Maksatikha: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 19, 1978 at 1332 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-85169
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Baku - Leningrad
MSN:
76A169
YOM:
1976
Flight number:
SU6709
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
126
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
3308
Aircraft flight cycles:
1567
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 9,600 meters on a flight from Baku to Leningrad, all three engines stopped simultaneously. Shortly later, all generators failed as well, causing the electrical system to be inoperative. Unable to maintain altitude and speed that dropped to 370 km/h, the crew attempted an emergency landing in an open field. After touchdown, the airplane slid for 1,518 meters, struck various obstacles and came to rest in flames. Four passengers were killed while 130 other occupants were rescued, some of them were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
In-flight failure of all three engines after the fuel transfer system failed while being connected on manual mode. Technical analysis were unable to determine the exact cause of the fuel transfer system failure but it is possible this was caused by the malfunction or the failure of a switch or other electrical components.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Karnaukhovskiy: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 7, 1978 at 1915 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-70493
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
1G144-04
YOM:
1973
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
4743
Aircraft flight cycles:
18033
Circumstances:
The airplane was supposed to be engaged in several crop spraying flights that day on behalf of the kolkhoz of 'Bolshevik' based in Tsimlyansky. But for unknown reason, both pilots failed to complete the mission. At the end of the afternoon, the captain decided to takeoff with two friends and completed several tours in the region of Karnaukhovskiy. After few takeoffs and landings and while flying at a very low height, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames in an open field located 7 km north of Karnaukhovskiy. The aircraft was totally destroyed by fire and all three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The captain's decision to initiate a 'private' flight with two passengers who were not authorized to fly. The exact cause of the loss of control could not be determined but the assumption that one of the passenger was at controls at the time of the accident was not ruled out. Also, the captain was intoxicated at the time of the accident, which was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 near Gazimurski Zavod: 10 killed

Date & Time: May 6, 1978 at 1403 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-41921
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Nerchinsk – Gazimurski Zavod
MSN:
12347308
YOM:
1952
Flight number:
SU327V
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Aircraft flight hours:
19656
Circumstances:
The flight from Nerchinsk to Gazimurski Zavod was completed at an altitude of 1,900 meters in marginal weather conditions. On approach to Gazimurski Zavod, the crew descended into clouds when he was facing a mountain. Engine power was added but the airplane struck tree tops in a flat attitude and crashed in a wooded area located on the slope of a mountain (1,256 meters high) located about 12 km southeast of Gazimurski Zavod. Five passengers were injured while 10 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of the pilot's decision to continue the descent under VFR mode in clouds and a below minimums visibility. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Poor flight preparation,
- Lack of crew coordination,
- Wrong altimeter setting on part of the copilot,
- Lack of assistance from weather services.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R near Ufa

Date & Time: May 1, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-01367
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
MSN:
1G45-16
YOM:
1964
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While flying in below-minima weather conditions, the aircraft struck a hill and crashed near Ufa. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.