Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Ust-Kut: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1976 at 1940 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-88208
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Ust-Kut - Kirensk
MSN:
9 63 13 49
YOM:
1976
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Aircraft flight hours:
327
Aircraft flight cycles:
348
Circumstances:
The aircraft was engaged in a cargo flight from Ust-Kut to Kirensk, carrying a crew of three, two technicians of the company and two people in charge of the 1,200 kg of cargo. The crew failed to prepare the flight properly, expedited taxi and departure. The airplane took off from runway 30 at a speed of 155 km/h and with an angle of attack of 15°. After rotation, while in initial climb at a height of 120 metres at a speed of 210 km/h, the pilot raised the flaps when the airplane lost height and descended until it struck trees and crashed in flames 1,500 metres past the runway end. The copilot was seriously injured while all six other occupants were killed. Few hours later, the copilot died from his injuries.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew precipitated the takeoff procedure and failed to follow the pre-departure checklist. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Poor flight preparation,
- The cabin was not heated prior to departure,
- The left altimeter was erroneously set with a value 10 mm Hg higher than prescribed (wrong altimeter setting),
- Stabilizers were set at -6° instead of the required -3,6° angle,
- The rotation was completed prematurely,
- During initial climb, flaps were raised at a speed of 210-220 km/h, 20 km/h below the speed mentioned in the Flight Manual,
- Lack of visibility,
- Lack of ground visual references.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Armavir

Date & Time: Dec 7, 1976
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-87756
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Dnipropetrovsk - Mineralnye Vody
MSN:
9 02 01 12
YOM:
1970
Flight number:
SU929N
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
25
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
11272
Captain / Total hours on type:
2257.00
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Dnepropetrovsk, the crew started the approach to Mineralnye Vody Airport at dusk. Unable to distinguish the runway, the captain decided to initiate a go-around. He elected to divert to Stavropol Airport but ATC informed him that the visibility was 300 metres only (although it was in fact 700 metres which would have allowed a safe landing). The captain attempted a second approach to Mineralnye Vody but was forced to initiate a second go-around manoeuvre. This time, he decided to divert to Armavir Airport when on final, all three engines failed simultaneously due to fuel exhaustion. The captain completed an emergency landing in an orchard located 1,745 metres short of runway threshold. All 29 occupants escaped unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of all three engines on final approach to Armavir Airport due to fuel exhaustion. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Poor flight planning on part of the crew who departed Dnepropetrovsk Airport with an insufficient quantity of fuel (taking into consideration two missed approach and a divert to Armavir),
- Inaccurate information provided by ATC concerning the visibility at Stavropol Airport which was not 300 metres but 700 metres and would allow the crew to land safely.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-104B in Klushino: 73 killed

Date & Time: Nov 28, 1976 at 1856 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-42471
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Moscow - Leningrad
MSN:
0 2 12 04
YOM:
1960
Flight number:
SU2415
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
67
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
73
Aircraft flight hours:
22199
Aircraft flight cycles:
13336
Circumstances:
Following a normal takeoff roll on runway 24R, the airplane lifted off at a speed of 290 km/h with the copilot at controls. At this time, the visibility was poor due to the night and marginal weather conditions. Less than a minute later, while climbing, the airplane rolled to the right to an angle of 60-70° then the airspeed increased to 580 km/h. The captain took over control when the airplane initiated an uncontrolled descent and crashed at a speed of 620 km/h in a huge explosion near the village of Klushino, about 10 km northwest of the airport, three minutes after takeoff. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 73 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control during initial climb after the crew suffered a spatial disorientation in poor visibility due to the failure of the artificial horizon. This may be caused by the failure of the 36 volts electrical system.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2T near Khoyto-Gol

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1976
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-01226
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
MSN:
1 81 473 04
YOM:
1957
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew deviated from the prescribed flight path when the single engine aircraft crash landed on the slope of a mountain located 30 km northwest of Khoyto-Gol. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2P in Novosibirsk: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 26, 1976 at 0816 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-79868
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
1 163 473 12
YOM:
1961
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Aircraft flight hours:
14812
Circumstances:
The pilot decided to commit suicide due to marital problems and took off alone from Novosibirsk-Severny Airport and directed his aircraft into the 4 floor building where his wife and his son were living (ul. Stepnaya, d. 43/1). A strong fire erupted in the staircase and some 30 flats were damaged. The pilot was killed as well as 4 people in the building, among them three children. 11 other were injured, none of them was related to the pilot.
Probable cause:
Pilot suicide.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 off Anapa: 18 killed

Date & Time: Sep 9, 1976 at 1351 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-87772
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Rostov-on-Don - Kerch
MSN:
9 03 07 13
YOM:
1970
Flight number:
SU031C
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
18
Aircraft flight hours:
6842
Aircraft flight cycles:
7174
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a flight from Rostov-on-Don to Kerch in limited visibility due to cloudy conditions when, at an altitude of 5,700 metres, it collided with an Aeroflot Antonov AN-24RV. Registered CCCP-46518, the AN-24 was flying from Donetsk to Sochi with 52 people on board. Following the collision, both aircraft entered a dive and crashed into the Black Sea about 37 km south of Anapa. Both aircraft sank by a depth of about 500 metres and none of the 70 occupants survived the crash.
Probable cause:
The in-flight collision was the consequence of mistakes committed by the air traffic controller in charge of the western sector of the Krasnodar area who violated the published procedures and failed to provide the minimum separation of 600 meters required for both aircraft prior to transfer them to the Anapa sector. The lack of visibility due to significant cloud cover was considered as a contributing factor, as well as poor ATC coordination between various sectors.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24RV off Anapa: 52 killed

Date & Time: Sep 9, 1976 at 1351 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-46518
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Gomel - Donetsk - Sotchi
MSN:
37308504
YOM:
1973
Flight number:
SU7957
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
47
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Aircraft flight hours:
6107
Aircraft flight cycles:
4626
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing the second leg from its Gomel - Donetsk - Sochi flight in limited visibility due to cloudy conditions when, at an altitude of 5,700 metres, it collided with an Aeroflot Yakovlev Yak-40. Registered CCCP-87772, the Yak was flying from Rostov-on-Don to Kerch with 18 people on board. Following the collision, both aircraft entered a dive and crashed into the Black Sea about 37 km south of Anapa. Both aircraft sank by a depth of about 500 metres and none of the 70 occupants survived the crash.
Probable cause:
The in-flight collision was the consequence of mistakes committed by the air traffic controller in charge of the western sector of the Krasnodar area who violated the published procedures and failed to provide the minimum separation of 600 meters required for both aircraft prior to transfer them to the Anapa sector. The lack of visibility due to significant cloud cover was considered as a contributing factor, as well as poor ATC coordination between various sectors.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-16K into the White Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 6, 1976
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While returning to his base by night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions, lost his orientation and was unable to locate the destination airport. In such conditions, all six crew members were instructed to bail out and to abandon the aircraft that crashed into the White Sea. Few debris were found but only one crew member survived. All five other occupants were never found.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2V near Berezovo

Date & Time: Aug 27, 1976
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-79852
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1162 473 10
YOM:
1961
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the engine flamed out. The aircraft lost height and crashed in a field located near Berezovo. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine flameout caused by a mishandling of the fuel system on part of the crew.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 off Uelen

Date & Time: Aug 13, 1976
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-23722
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Lavrentiya - Uelen
MSN:
13547305
YOM:
1953
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While descending to Uelen Airstrip, the crew encountered foggy conditions but decided to continue the approach when the airplane struck the water surface and crashed in the Uelen lagoon. The wreckage was found 415 metres short of runway threshold and 35 metres to the left of its extended centerline. There were no casualties. At the time of the accident, the visibility was below minimums.
Probable cause:
The crew continued the approach in below weather conditions until the airplane struck the water surface and crashed in a lagoon.