Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Cherepovets: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 11, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-N584
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Cherepovets - Cherepovets
MSN:
184 402 08
YOM:
1951
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a night training mission when the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in the vicinity of the Cherepovets Airport. All four crew were killed.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-12 in Dikson

Date & Time: Sep 8, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-N525
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
9 301 31 08
YOM:
1949
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The final approach was completed in low clouds and marginal visibility when the airplane hit the runway surface and bounced. On impact, the undercarriage were severely damaged, the aircraft rolled for 400 meters and then veered off runway to the right before coming to rest. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the captain in weather conditions considered as normal. Poor pilot techniques and overconfidence were considered as contributing factors.

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

Date & Time: Aug 20, 1956 at 2115 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3488
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Gizhiga - Gizhiga
MSN:
1 35 473 17
YOM:
1953
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total hours on type:
50.00
Aircraft flight hours:
1475
Circumstances:
The crew was returning to Gizhiga Airport following a geophysical survey flight. En route, the pilot entered a narrow valley and while the visibility was decreasing due to clouds, the pilot decided to make a 180 turn. At an altitude of 460 meters, he started a turn to the right when the airplane collided with the mountain and crashed in flames. The radio navigator was slightly injured while all three other occupants were killed. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The pilot was inexperienced on such geophysical survey flight and accumulated 50 flying hours on this type of aircraft prior to the accident. Also, the crew was on duty since 11 hours while the max duty time allowed for this kind of mission is six hours. If the time of the accident is confirmed at 2115LT, this means it was dark as the sunset is at 2007LT at Gizhiga on August 20.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 on Mt Hadaraniya: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 20, 1956 at 1241 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L5554
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Batagay – Deputatsky
MSN:
1 47 473 05
YOM:
2
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
1355
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Batagay Airport at 1142LT bound for Deputatsky with a crew of three, three passengers and 543 kilos of various goods. En route, weather conditions worsened and the pilot climbed from 1,400 to 2,000 meters. As the visibility deteriorated, the aircraft deviated from the prescribed flight plan by 12 km and later, the pilot-in-command reduced his altitude to 1,300 meters when the airplane hit the slope of Mt Hadaraniya (1,468 meters high) located about 175 km northeast of Batagay. Two passengers were injured while four other occupants were killed. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of wrong decisions on part of the crew who decided to modify his route without prior permission while he was flying in below minima weather conditions above a mountainous area. The following findings were reported:
- poor flight organization,
- poor analysis of the flight documentation,
- meteorological forecast that did not reflect the reality.

Ground accident of a Lisunov LI-2 in Voronezh

Date & Time: Jul 4, 1956 at 1321 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4869
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Mineralnye Vody – Rostov-on-Don – Voronezh – Moscow
MSN:
184 355 04
YOM:
1953
Flight number:
SU256
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
8146
Circumstances:
After touchdown at Voronezh Airport, the crew completed the braking procedure and vacated the runway for the taxiway when an explosion occurred in the right engine that caught fire. In the mean time, the right main gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest in flames ont its belly. All occupants (four crew members and an undetermined number of passengers) evacuated safely while the airplane was partially destroyed by fire and declared as written off.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the right main gear rolled on a location of the taxiway that 'housed' three TM-35 anti-tank mines from the Second World War that were buried at an estimated depth of 1, 6 to 1.8 meter. The pressure of the right main landing gear on the earth separating the taxiway surface and the mines triggered the detonator, followed by the explosion of three mines.

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

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3805
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Ust-Khayryuzovo – Tiguil – Voyampolka – Palana
MSN:
1 55 473 14
YOM:
29
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
487
Circumstances:
The crew was performing the flight Ust-Khayryuzovo - Palana with intermediate stops at Tiguil and Voyampolka, carrying three passengers, two pilots and 954 kilos of deer meat carcasses. Shortly after takeoff from Voyampolka, the copilot told the captain they forgot to deliver a package so the pilot decided to return, completed a low pass at a height of 50 meters, opened his window and jettisoned the package when the aircraft banked left and lost altitude, causing the left wing to struck the ground. Out of control, the airplane cartwheeled and crashed upside down on an icy terrain. The airplane was destroyed and all five occupants were injured. One of the passenger died from his injuries few hours later.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of a careless take of risk on part of the pilot who attempted to drop a package in flight while it would be more prudent to land. Doing so, he failed to pay attention to the conduct of the flight and the airplane attitude.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 on Mt Tordoki-Yani: 21 killed

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1955 at 1207 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4993
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – Sovietskaya Gavan – Elabuga – Khabarovsk
MSN:
2 34 433 06
YOM:
0
Flight number:
SU976
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
21
Aircraft flight hours:
4021
Circumstances:
After his departure from Sovietskaya Gavan Airport, the crew obtained the permission to continue at the assigned altitude of 2,700 meters. Weather conditions deteriorated enroute with clouds, turbulences and high winds blowing from the north up to 90 km/h. While overflying the Sikhote-Alin Mountain Range, the aircraft encountered downdrafts and lost altitude. The crew increased engine power and elected to gain height but the aircraft continued to descent until it struck the slope of Mt Tordoki-Yani (1,750 meters high). The wreckage was found on December 21, 1955 and all 21 occupants have been killed. It was reported that the aircraft struck the mountain 20 meters below the summit.
Probable cause:
Severe downdraft in altitude caused the aircraft to lose height and to struck the mountain.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Tyumen: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1955 at 0745 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4339
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moscow – Kazan – Sverdlovsk – Petropavl – Pavlodar – Ust-Kamenogorsk
MSN:
184 281 01
YOM:
20
Flight number:
SU101
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Aircraft flight hours:
8612
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Sverdlovsk Airport bound for Petropavl with four passengers, a crew of five, 869 kilos of mail and 496 kilos of various goods. While cruising by night, the crew encountered higher winds than predicted and due to the lack of visibility, lost their orientation and were unable to locate the airport of Petropavl. The captain decided to divert to Kurgan Airport but was unable to contact ground due to communication problems. He then decided to return to Svedlovsk but as the fuel reserves were too low, he eventually decided to continue to Petropavl that was closed due to poor weather conditions. While cruising in snow falls about 215 km from Petropavl Airport, both engines failed due fuel exhaustion. The crew attempted an emergency landing in a snow covered field when the airplane crashed 250 meters from the Omsk-Tyumen railroad. Two passengers were seriously injured while all seven other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of a loss of orientation by the crew in flight due to the combination of the following factors:
- Lack of discipline on part of the crew,
- Poor flight preparation with the result of insufficient fuel reserve for the entire duration of flight,
- Errors in flight in the navigation calculation. More than two hours of flight were not recorded in the navigator's logbook,
- Failure to use the flight direction finder,
- Poor weather conditions at night with high winds and snow falls,
- Unsatisfactory flight management from RDS Koltsovo and ADS Kurgan.
The following findings were considered as contributing:
- Unjustified weather forecast in the direction of the wind, issued by AMSG Koltsovo,
- Unstable work of the radio compass,
- Insufficient fuel for the operation,
- Unstable work of the communication equipment,
- Low qualification of the communications operators.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Ozerevo: 7 killed

Date & Time: Sep 28, 1955 at 0003 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4712
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moscow-Vnukovo – Leningrad
MSN:
184 318 01
YOM:
28
Flight number:
SU349
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Aircraft flight hours:
8663
Circumstances:
Enroute from Vnukovo to Leningrad, while cruising at an altitude of 900 meters in clouds, the right engine failed. Unfortunately, the crew was unable to feather the propeller and thus, was unable to maintain a safe altitude. The captain decided to divert to the Vypolzovo Airbase but radio contact with the base was impossible for unknown reason. Eventually, the pilot attempted an emergency landing in a potatoes field located in Ozerevo when the airplane crashed. Five crew members and two passengers were killed while 12 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the right engine in flight caused by an oil leakage due to the failure of a connection hose.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-12 in Komarovo: 7 killed

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1955 at 1245 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1359
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Moscow – Krasnoyarsk – Irkutsk – Khabarovsk
MSN:
30 074
YOM:
13
Flight number:
SU005
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Aircraft flight hours:
5734
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing flight SU005 from Moscow to Khabarovsk with intermediate stops at Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk, carrying three passengers, a crew of four and a load of various goods for a total weight of 417 kilos. While cruising at an altitude of 3,000 meters, weather conditions deteriorated and the crew encountered thunderstorm activity. Due to severe turbulences, the aircraft went out of control and entered a dive. At an altitude between 500 and 1,000 meters, the airplane disintegrated in the air and all debris scattered in a field and a wooded area located in Komarovo, about 37 km south-southwest of Kansk. All seven occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the loss of control was the consequence of severe turbulences that exceeded the design of certain parts of the airplane. Poor flight preparation on part of the operator and the failure to consider the possibility of a deterioration of the weather conditions were considered as contributing factors. Also, the crew was not properly briefed about weather conditions prior to departure from Krasnoyarsk Airport.