Russia | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

On the leg from Omsk to Irkutsk, at a distance of 160 km from the destination, the crew was informed about the deterioration of the weather conditions at Irkutsk Airport and was then diverted to Ust-Orda Airport. At this time, weather at Ust-Orda was as follow: cloud base at 250 meters, snow falls and a visibility of 3 km. On approach by night, the nose gear light was unserviceable so the captain decided to make a go around. For unknown reason, this procedure was delayed and he completed a low pass over the runway for about two km before making a turn to the left at a height of 10-15 meters when the airplane struck power cables. The aircraft stalled and crashed in flames on a hilly terrain near the airport. 46 passengers were uninjured while 19 occupants were injured. Three crew members were killed, the navigator, the radio operator and the mechanic. The aircraft was totally destroyed by a post crash fire.

Probable cause:

The decision of the captain to perform a go around was comprehensive but the very low pass (10-15 meters) above the runway was unacceptable. Investigations were able to determine that weather conditions at Irkutsk Airport were not as bad and the decision of the ATC to divert the crew to Ust-Orda was not necessary. Also, it was the first time that the pilot was flying to Ust-Orda and he did not have any knowledge about the environment at this airport, which was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Vickers 837 Viscount in Moscow: 31 killed

Date & Time: Sep 26, 1960 at 2140 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Viscount

Operator:

Registration:

OE-LAF

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Vienna – Warsaw – Moscow

MSN:

437

YOM:

1960

Flight number:

OS901

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

2395

Captain / Total hours on type:

1752.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

2088

Copilot / Total hours on type:

458

Aircraft flight hours:

1272

Aircraft flight cycles:

872

Circumstances:

The approach to Moscow-Sheremetyevo Airport was completed by night and in poor weather conditions. After its four turn on approach, the crew continued the descent below the glide when the airplane struck trees and crashed in a wooded area located 11 km short of runway 07. The aircraft was destroyed, five crew members and 26 passengers were killed while six other occupants were seriously injured. At the time of the accident, the visibility was limited due to the night, foggy conditions and rain falls.

Probable cause:

The investigations revealed that there were no technical deficiencies in the aircraft itself or a meteorological phenomenon involved in the accident. The Austrian observers participating in the investigation of the accident were of the opinion that the accident was related to altitude measurement, inasmuch as it was apparent from radio communications as well as from the examination of the wreckage that that the crew believed that they were flying at the normal approach altitude. The erroneous altitude measurement may be attributed to:
- A technical deficiency of either of the two altimeters,
- The divergent settings of the altimeters or,
- Omission of altimeter reading or erroneous reading of altimeters.
The internal mechanism of both altimeters was so heavily damaged that it could no longer be ascertained whether, at the time of the accident, the altimeters were functioning accurately. Both altimeters were set to the correct atmospheric pressure but their settings differed, namely the left altimeter was set at QFE 990 millibars and the right altimeter at 1013 millibars, which in view of the prevailing atmospheric pressure conditions, could have corresponded both to QNH and to the standard pressure setting. Such divergent settings are at variance with the usual procedure of Austrian Airlines. The reasons prompting the flight captain to depart from the usual practice could not be ascertained. It was not possible to reach a categorical conclusion as to which of the three causes were responsible for an approach below the minimum flying altitude.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14 on Mt Belaya: 18 killed

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1960 at 1710 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-14

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-04200

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Mys Shmidta – Perek – Cherski – Chokurdakh – Tiksi – Khatanga – Dikson – Amderma – Arkhangelsk – Cherepovets – Moscow

MSN:

1470 014 18

YOM:

Flight number:

SU804

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

3580

Circumstances:

The aircraft was performing a special flight from Mys Schmidta to Moscow with polar researchers from the Soviet Air Force on board. On the leg from Arkhangelsk to Cherepovets, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and was flying at an insufficient altitude when the airplane struck the slope of Mt Belaya located in the region of Fedorovskaya, about 315 km southwest of Arkhangelsk. The aircraft was destroyed and all 18 occupants have been killed. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were as follow: visibility 4 km below cloud layer at 300 meters, fog, wind at 10 km/h and rain.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the captain decided to continue the flight at an insufficient altitude in poor weather conditions (below minima). Informations related to weather conditions were incomplete, which was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14M near Syktyvkar: 23 killed

Date & Time: Jul 20, 1960 at 1230 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-14

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-61696

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Leningrad – Cherepovets – Syktyvkar

MSN:

1470 010 35

YOM:

1957

Flight number:

SU613

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

5505

Circumstances:

The flight was performed at 3,000 meters under VFR mode above clouds. But while approaching Syktyvkar, weather conditions worsened with thunderstorm activity. The crew elected to modify his route to avoid this poor weather area when control was lost. The airplane entered a dive, lost its both wings and eventually crashed in flames in a dense wooded area located 87 km southwest of the Syktyvkar Airport. The wreckage was found 11 days later, on July 31. The airplane was completely destroyed and all 23 occupants were killed. The right wing and the right engine were found 80 meters from the main fuselage.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the loss of control was caused by the combination of strong atmospheric turbulences and vertical downdraft encountered while the aircraft was flying in a low pressure area. During the dive, excessive G loads caused the wings to detach and the aircraft became totally uncontrollable. The lack of assistance on part of the meteorology services was considered as a contributing factor as no one transmitted any information to the crew about the deterioration of the weather conditions and the presence of a thunderstorm on the flight path.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 near Aldan: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 5, 1960 at 0445 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-98282

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Geographical / Geophysical / Scientific

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

MSN:

1101 473 09

YOM:

Location:

Aldan

Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1896

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a geophysical survey flight in the west part of Aldan, Yakutia. At the end of the mission, the crew was returning to the east and while flying face to the sun at a height of 1,046 meters, the single engine aircraft struck tree tops and crashed in flames in a dense wooded area located about 145 km west of Aldan. The captain and the flight engineer were killed instantly. The flight operator and the navigator were injured and walked away to find help. After four km walk, the navigator died from his injuries and his body was found thirteen days later on July 18. The flight operator eventually find help and was evacuated to a local hospital. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced to one km due to clouds.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew failed to take into consideration the high OAT ( 23°) and its effect on the rate of climb and the airplane's performances. Also, the following factors were considered as contributing:
- The crew failed to make any reconnaissance flight prior to the mission,
- Flying against the sun,
- Poor flight preparation.

Crash of a Beriev BE-10 off Taganrog

Date & Time: Jun 29, 1960

Type of aircraft:

Beriev Be-10

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Taganrog - Taganrog

MSN:

9 6 004 03

YOM:

1959

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

In unclear circumstances, the seaplane crashed in the Azov Sea while trying to land off Taganrog. The airplane was destroyed and the crew fate remains unknown.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Enken: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 5, 1960 at 1614 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-84609

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Nikolayevsk-on-Amur – Okhotsk – Magadan

MSN:

60 02

YOM:

1949

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

10291

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a positioning flight from Nikolayevsk-on-Amur to Magadan with an intermediate stop at Okhotsk. En route, pilots encountered poor weather conditions with turbulences and heavy icing conditions. The airplane lost altitude and eventually dove into the ground before crashing in flames at an altitude of 900 meters on the slope of Mt Dzhugdzhur (1,207 meters high) located in the region of Enken. The burned wreckage was found five days later and all five crew members were killed. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were bad with low visibility, snow falls, severe icing conditions, turbulences, wind from 140° at 100 km/h and an OAT of -18°.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the loss of control was caused by an excessive accumulation of ice on wings, stabs and tail combined to the extreme poor weather conditions. It was considered that the informations transmitted to the crew related to weather were incomplete and did not reflect the truth. Also, ATC assistance was considered as inefficient.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-18A in Sverdlovsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 27, 1960 at 2139 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-18

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-75648

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Sverdlovsk - Sverdlovsk

MSN:

188 0004 02

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

390

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a local training flight at Sverdlovsk-Koltsovo Airport. Following two landings and two approches, the crew started a new approach by night. During the last segment, at a speed of 260 km/h, the aircraft adopted a nose down attitude and struck the runway with its nose gear first that was sheared off upon impact. The airplane bounced and climbed to a height of about 10 meters before hitting the runway again in a nose down attitude. Upon impact, the airplane went out of control and veered off runway to the right before coming to rest in flames. The flight mechanic was killed while all four other occupants were injured. The aircraft was partially destroyed by fire.

Probable cause:

Wrong approach configuration on part of the instructor who adopted a too high speed on final (260 km/h) and failed to adopt a correct flare configuration, causing the airplane to adopt a nose down attitude and to struck the runway surface nose first, causing the nose gear to fail. It was determined that the rear trunk was loaded with a ballast weighing 600 kg instead of 1,000 kg which contributed to shift the center of gravity forward, causing the airplane to nose down. Analysis were not able to confirm if icing conditions may contribute to the accident or not.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2T in Russia

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1960

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-98332

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

1104 473 11

YOM:

1958

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After takeoff from an unknown aerodrome, the crew decided to return for a safe landing when, during the last turn, the airplane stalled and crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and the occupant's fate remains unknown. Icing is suspected.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Didino: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1960 at 1118 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-19405

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Sverdlovsk – Kazan – Moscow

MSN:

184 194 05

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2310

Circumstances:

The aircraft was recently transferred from the Soviet Air Force to Aeroflot and the crew was en route from Sverdlovsk to Moscow-Bykovo with an intermediate stop in Kazan. Technical modifications should be brought on the aircraft, all documentation should be modified and adapted with a new color scheme on the fuselage. En route, the right engine failed and the captain decided to return to Sverdlovsk but he was unable to maintain a safe altitude. The crew jettisoned some of the cargo but few boxes struck the door and one of them remained partially blocked, causing drag. Losing altitude, the airplane struck trees and eventually crashed in a wooded area located near Didino, about 65 km west of Sverdlovsk-Koltsovo Airport. The airplane was destroyed, three crew members were injured and the fourth occupant was killed.

Probable cause:

Failure of the right engine in flight due to fuel starvation. It was determined that the fuel selector was connected to the left rear tank which was empty. Only 200 liters were added in the tank prior to takeoff and the crew forgot to change the fuel selector in flight to another suitable tank. It is also reported that the crew failed to take the appropriate measures to maintain a safe control of the airplane with one engine inoperative and the captain maintained an insufficient speed of 150 km/h instead of 170 km/h, which contributed to the loss of altitude.

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