Crash of a Tupolev TU-154 in Moscow

Date & Time: May 7, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-85030
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moscow - Moscow
MSN:
72A030
YOM:
1972
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training mission at Vnukovo Airport. Following four successful touch-and-go manoeuvres, the crew took off again. Just after liftoff, while at a height of 20 meters, the aircraft suffered severe vibrations and went unstable. Shortly later, while climbing to a height of 70 meters, both engines n°1 & 3 lost power simultaneously. The captain decided to make an emergency landing when the aircraft struck tree tops and crashed in flames in a wooded area. All four occupants were slightly injured while the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
It appears that a technical problem occurred with the slats which deployed in an inappropriate angle after rotation. Nevertheless, the cause of the power loss on two engine remains unknown.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12 in Russia: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 25, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a night training mission somewhere in Russia. On final approach, the airplane descended below the glide, struck power cables and crashed in flames. All six crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the accident was caused by a wrong altimeter setting. A difference of 100 meters was reported.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-104B in Leningrad: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 23, 1973 at 1506 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-42505
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Leningrad – Moscow
MSN:
0 2 19 03
YOM:
1960
Flight number:
SU2420
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
51
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
17095
Aircraft flight cycles:
10698
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Leningrad-Shosseinaya Airport, while cruising at an altitude of 7,800 meters, a stewardess informed the cockpit crew about a passenger who wanted to fly to Stockholm and was carrying a pistol and a hand grenade. After entering the cockpit, the hijacker stand by the flight engineer. The crew returned to Leningrad-Shosseinaya and on final approach, while at a height of 120-140 meters, the captain asked the copilot to lower the gear. When the hijacker realized they were flying back to Leningrad, he unpin the grenade that exploded in the cockpit, causing a huge hole in the fuselage. The hijacker and the flight engineer were killed while both pilots were slightly injured. 30 seconds later, the pilots were able to land the airplane at a speed of 310 km/h. After touchdown, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane slid for several dozen meters before coming to a halt. All 55 other occupants were uninjured while the aircraft was not repaired.
Probable cause:
Hijacked after takeoff and severely damaged by the explosion of a grenade and the failure of the nose gear after landing.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 near Ozernaya: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 24, 1973 at 1329 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-05670
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Ozernaya – Ust-Bolcheretsk
MSN:
1 56 473 09
YOM:
1955
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
10581
Aircraft flight cycles:
6600
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Ozernaya while on a cargo flight to Ust-Bolsheretsk, the intoxicated captain deliberately deviated from the prescribed flight path. The aircraft entered clouds and crashed at a height of 350 meters into the snow covered northern slope of Mt Ukho located 9 km north of Ozernaya. A pilot and the passenger were killed while the sole survivor was seriously injured. At the time of the accident, the captain was intoxicated. A blood test revealed an alcohol level of 1.8 ‰.
Probable cause:
Pilot intoxicated.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14M on Jokhov Island

Date & Time: Mar 11, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-04192
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
7 34 34 07
YOM:
1957
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful survey flight over the region of the Jokhov Island, the crew landed on the island when the airplane exploded, caught and came to rest in flames. All occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
It was determined that an electric box caught fire in the cargo compartment and fuel drums later exploded.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 near Lake Khattavtur: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 9, 1973 at 1325 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-01262
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Yelushkino – Kondinskoye
MSN:
1 71 473 16
YOM:
1957
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
12736
Circumstances:
After eight workers have been dropped off in Yelushkino, the crew was returning to Kondinskoye with one passenger, the Director of Kondinskoye Airport. En route, the crew initiated hazardous manoeuvres and lost control of the airplane that nosed down to an angle of 90° and crashed in a snow covered field located southeast of Lake Khattavtur, about 57 km west of Kondinskoye. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed. Blood analysis revealed an alcohol level of 0,8‰ with the copilot and 3,4‰ with the captain.
Probable cause:
Loss of control while the crew was intoxicated.

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

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-70816
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1G133-19
YOM:
1972
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the engine failed. The pilot elected to make an emergency landing when the aircraft crash landed in a field near Smolensk. There were no casualties while the aircraft was written off.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2T in Serov

Date & Time: Mar 6, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-93467
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Sverdlovsk – Serov – Ivdel – Ust-Manya
MSN:
1 31 473 05
YOM:
1953
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The engine failed in flight, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a field in Serov and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12 on Graham Bell Island

Date & Time: Mar 6, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-11994
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
2 34 04 02
YOM:
1962
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances on Graham Bell Island while performing a cargo flight. Nobody was hurt but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and abandoned in situ.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-18V in Moscow: 25 killed

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1973 at 1245 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LZ-BEM
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Sofia - Moscow
MSN:
182 0056 02
YOM:
1962
Flight number:
LZ307
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
25
Circumstances:
During an approach to Moscow-Sheremetyevo Airport in marginal weather conditions, the crew initiated a go-around for unknown reason. During the second approach, at a distance of 5 km from the runway 07 threshold, the crew was informed by ATC that his position was 15 meters below the glide. Shortly later, the airplane nosed down then crashed in a huge explosion 4,330 meters short of runway. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 25 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The commission considered that the most probable cause of the accident was an adverse combination of the following factors:
- Icing of the stabilizer (probably due to lack of heating in the leading edge),
- A pitch manoeuvre executed to correct a deviation from the glide path which resulted in a g-loading of 0,6 - 0,5,
- Extension of the flaps to the full landing setting, which had the effect of degrading the airflow over the lower surface of the stabilizer and, consequently, of producing loads on the control column which promoted a further increase in the negative g-loading and prevented recovery of the aircraft from the developing nosedive.
Owing the destruction of the aircraft it was not possible to check the actual functioning of the stabilizer deicing system.
Final Report: