Crash of an Ilyushin II-12P in Magdagachi: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 7, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1828
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Irkutsk – Magdagachi – Khabarovsk
MSN:
9 301 34 15
YOM:
24
Flight number:
SU554A
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
8489
Circumstances:
The crew started the descent to Magdagachi Airport in marginal weather conditions: broken at 600 meters, few clouds at 330 meters, rain showers and 3 km visibility. The captain descended successively to 700, 400 and 100 meters then adopted a high rate of descent of 10-11 meters per second. The copilot suggested to abandon the landing for a go around procedure but the captain continued the approach when the airplane struck approach lights and crashed short of runway threshold. The flight engineer was killed while all other occupants were injured, the copilot seriously.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach techniques on part of the captain who demonstrated a lack of discipline.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-4 in Ivanovo: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jul 6, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
On final approach to Ivanovo-Severny Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and the approach speed was too low so the airplane lost height. The pilot-in-command increased power when the airplane struck trees and crashed in a dense wooded area located near the Strokino station, about 5 km short of runway 29. All ten crew members were killed.
Crew (27th Squadron):
Aleksandr Nikolaïevitch Scheglov , pilot instructor,
Vladimir Ignatievich Krasnoperov, crew chief,
Nicholas J. Popiel, navigator,
Vasily Osipov, flight engineer,
Nikolay Andreyevich Popv, technician,
Yuriy Ilich Akulyushin , radio operator 4.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 on Mt Strizhament: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jul 3, 1957 at 0622 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4825
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Ashgabat – Krasnovodsk – Baku – Mineralnye Vody – Krasnodar – Simferopol
MSN:
184 345 10
YOM:
15
Flight number:
SU461
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Aircraft flight hours:
8766
Circumstances:
On the leg from Mineralnye Vody to Krasnodar, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility. The aircraft struck trees on a distance of 80 meters then stalled and crashed in flames on a plateau located on the Mt Strizhament, about 30 km south of Stravropol. The aircraft was totally destroyed and eight passengers were killed, the other five occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
Error on part of the crew who failed to follow the assigned altitude as mentioned on the flight plan. Poor weather conditions, poor flight preparation and lack of assistance on part of the ATC were considered as contributing factors.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14P in Moscow: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 14, 1957 at 2310 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
SP-LNF
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Warsaw – Moscow
MSN:
6 34 14 07
YOM:
1956
Flight number:
LO232
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The aircraft took off from Warsaw-Okecie Airport on a non-stop scheduled flight to Moscow, following the normal route of flight LO232. It carried 8 passengers, 5 crew and 819 kg of mail and cargo. The flight was routine as far as Klimentiewo, 75 km west of Vnukovo Airport, and communication between the aircraft and the relevant units of the Air Traffic Control service was established. During the flight leg between Wiazma and Klimentiewo the aircraft followed its route and lowered altitude as instructed by the air traffic controller in view of the bad weather conditions (storm) in that area. Over Klimentiewo the aircraft was at an altitude of 400 m, altimeter setting 737.4 mm Hg (current QFE at Vnukovo Airport); the pilot reported sighting the ground and was cleared by the air traffic controller to descend to 300 m and to head for Vnukovo Airport. At 2307LT, i. e. 5 minutes before the scheduled time of arrival at the aerodrome, the crew requested approach clearance. The air traffic controller had transferred control of the aircraft to the approach control service ; the latter, having established contact with the aircraft, gave the pilot the QAM and cleared him for approach in accordance with the instrument approach procedure prescribed for that aerodrome. Although the pilot acknowledged receipt of the approach clearance, according to established procedure, he failed to adhere to the prescribed procedure and descended to such a low altitude that the aircraft hit the ground. The aircraft was completely demolished. Five passengers and 4 crew members were killed and 3 passengers were seriously injured.
Probable cause:
The aircraft hit the ground while flying at an excessively low altitude fol- lowing the crew's application of an approach procedure other than that prescribed by Vnukovo Airport. The bad weather conditions which set in during the night and were not forecast in the messages had their influence on the disastrous end of the flight.
Final Report:

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 in Tanyurer

Date & Time: May 5, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3807
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tanyurer - Bolshaya Osinovaya
MSN:
1 55 473 15
YOM:
1955
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft was carrying five scientists and three crew members who were involved in a geological mission of the Bolshaya Osinovaya River. Shortly after takeoff from Tanyurer, at an altitude of 80 meters, the pilot-in-command made a sharp turn to the left when the airplane stalled and crashed. All eight occupants were rescued and slightly injured while the airplane was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Poor piloting techniques on part of the captain who made too sharp turn to the left at low height (80 meters).

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Ulyanovsk: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1957 at 1433 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4967
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Kuybyshev – Ulyanovsk
MSN:
2 34 428 02
YOM:
6
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
6692
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight to Ulyanovsk to conduct aerial photography of the airplane on behalf of the UAZ factory. While approaching Ulyanovsk at an altitude of 3,000 meters, the left wing suffered a structural failure and partially detached and struck the tail. Out of control, the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a snow covered field located 15 km northeast of Ulyanovsk. The airplane was destroyed and all four crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Partial structural failure of the left wing for undetermined reason.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 in Gubistaya: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 12, 1957 at 0910 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1233
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Mezen – Gubistaya
MSN:
1 69 473 18
YOM:
22
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
226
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a cargo flight from Mezen to Gubistaya, carrying a load of fish. On approach to Gubistaya, weather conditions were poor and the visibility was reduced by fog. Despite the situation, the captain decided to land and continued the approach when the airplane hit trees and crashed. The captain was seriously injured and the copilot was killed.
Probable cause:
Misjudgment on part of the captain who decided to continue the approach in below minima weather conditions. According to procedures, the crew should return to Mezen.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 on Mt Gora Ioanna: 12 killed

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1956 at 0040 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L5033
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Lavrentiya – Uelkal – Anadyr
MSN:
184 356 09
YOM:
31
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Aircraft flight hours:
5333
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Uelkal bound for Anadyr with seven passengers on board, a crew of five and 580 kg of various goods. While approaching Anadyr by night, the crew did not realized he was off course by eight km when, at an altitude of 720 meters, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Gora Ioanna (920 meters high) located about 35 km northeast of Anadyr. As the aircraft failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated and the burnt wreckage was found four days later on a 50° slope. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 12 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the deviation. At the time of the accident, visibility was poor due to the night and clouds. The assumption that the aircraft was caught by downdraft was not ruled out.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14 in Irkoutsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 18, 1956 at 1442 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L5658
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moscow – Sverdlovsk – Novosibirsk – Irkutsk
MSN:
1460 009 42
YOM:
2
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
29
Circumstances:
After being manufactured at Frunze, the aircraft was on a delivery flight from Moscow to Irkutsk with intermediate stops at Sverdlovsk and Novosibirsk. On final approach to Irkutsk-Intl Airport, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions when the airplane hit the ground 1,315 meters short of runway, bounced, struck a fence and eventually came to rest in a prairie located 550 meters short of runway threshold. The copilot was killed while four other occupants were slightly injured. The aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The flight engineer misinterpreted some instruments settings he failed to transmit to the flying crew in due time. Lack of coordination between pilots was considered as a contributing factor.