Russia

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

Schedule:

Lipetsk – Rostov-on-Don – Mineralnye Vody

MSN:

9 41 10 33

YOM:

1974

Flight number:

SU1255

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

124

Aircraft flight cycles:

111

Circumstances:

After a roll of 1,040 meters on the wet runway 03, the captain decided to abandon the takeoff procedure but the remaining distance was 40 meters only. Unable to stop on a so short distance, the airplane overran and collided with an embankment 185 meters further, hit a hammock, broke up and came to rest in a ravine. The flight mechanic was killed while 18 other occupants were injured. 19 others were unhurt. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The crew decided to takeoff from an inadequate runway for such type of aircraft (too short runway). Poor flight preparation as the V1 & V2 speed were not verified and properly calculated prior to takeoff. Other factors were considered as contributing such as aircraft weight, wet runway and weather conditions.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12B at SP-22 Polar Sation: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1974 at 1220 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-12

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-12950

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

SP-22 Polar Station - Dikson

MSN:

8 3 455 01

YOM:

1968

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

9381

Aircraft flight cycles:

3637

Circumstances:

The SP-22 Polar station was dismantled and several airplanes were dispatched to evacuate personnel and equipment. In the morning, cargo (tractors, woods and various equipment) were loaded on board the AN-12 as well as nine passengers and a crew of seven, en route to Dikson. The ice cracked in the morning and a large crack of about two meters appears, causing the takeoff distance to be 900 meters only. Thus, cargo was offloaded and the crew decided to takeoff with a total weight of 52 tons. During the takeoff roll, the captain started the rotation about 30 meters prior to the crack. Both main landing gear struck the crack, causing the aircraft to be out of control and to crash in flames. The radio navigator was killed while all other occupants were injured, some of them seriously. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The estimated time on ground between the landing and the takeoff was 3 hours and 50 minutes, which was too much as it give time to the ice to crack. It was determined that the crew failed to offload all nine passengers to reduce the total weight prior to takeoff. Also, poor weather conditions during the preceding days caused the evacuation mission to be postponed, which was considered as a contributing factor.

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:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

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 a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Kazan

Date & Time: Apr 9, 1974

Type of aircraft:

Yakovlev Yak-40

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-87369

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

Schedule:

Kazan - Bugulma

MSN:

9 34 19 31

YOM:

1973

Location:

Kazan-Borisoglebskoye

Republic of Tatarstan

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

During the takeoff roll, after a distance of 650 meters, the engine n°2 failed. The captain decided to continue the takeoff procedure but power and speed were insufficient to rotate. In such conditions, he abandoned the takeoff maneuver but unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran and eventually collided with a earth mound. The cockpit was destroyed. All 34 occupants were evacuated, some of them were injured.

Probable cause:

Wrong decisions on part of the captain who continued the takeoff procedure with one engine almost inoperative. Investigations revealed that engine n°2 lost 90% of its power during the takeoff roll for unknown reasons.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14P in Ust-Kuyga

Date & Time: Apr 6, 1974

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-14

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-52053

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)

MSN:

047704110

YOM:

1957

Location:

Ust-Kuyga

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After touchdown, the crew started the braking procedure when the flight engineer inadvertently raised the landing gear. The aircraft sank on its belly and slid for dozen meters before coming to rest. All 18 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

Inadvertent raise of the undercarriage after landing.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Kirov: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1974 at 0800 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-73960

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kirov - Sovetsky

MSN:

184 366 05

YOM:

1951

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

7589

Aircraft flight cycles:

6485

Circumstances:

After a takeoff distance of 430 meters completed in 26 seconds, the pilot-in-command initiated the rotation at a speed of 120 km/h. The airplane continued to climb when, at a height of 10 meters, the left engine failed. The airplane continued to climb until a height of 50 meters when it banked left to an angle of 80° then stalled and crashed at a speed of 170 km/h not far from the runway end. While all six passengers were injured, all three crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the left engine malfunction was caused by the failure of the 9th cylinder valve. Wrong reaction from the crew caused the speed to drop too low, causing the aircraft to stall and crash. Poor flight organization, poor crew training supervision were considered as contributing factors as well as the fact that the captain decided to takeoff without a flight engineer.

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

Date & Time: Feb 5, 1974

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-01579

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors: