Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Russia

Date & Time: Feb 3, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L54
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Chita – Krasnoyarsk
MSN:
7335
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Chita to Krasnoyarsk, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy snow falls. Maybe the crew elected to make an emergency landing when the three engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain and crashed somewhere between these two cities. While both pilots (among them captain A. F. Bazanov) were uninjured, the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Nijnyaya Pyocha: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 29, 1949 at 1415 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4991
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Arkhangelsk – Mezen – Nijnyaya Pyocha – Arkhangelsk
MSN:
43 09
YOM:
23
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
757
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff, while climbing to a height of 15-20 meters in strong crosswinds, the aircraft adopted a nose up attitude and stalled. It crashed 75 meters past the runway end and came to rest. Three crew members were killed while the radio operator was seriously injured. The crew was completing a cargo flight from Nijnyaya Pyocha to Arkhangelsk with a load of deer carcasses for a total of two tons.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the cargo was incorrectly loaded and unsecured. After rotation, the cargo shifted rearward, causing the center of gravity to move outside of the enveloppe and causing the aircraft to adopt a high angle of attack (high nose up attitude) and to stall. Strong crosswinds (up to 60 km/h) and a rushed departure on behalf of the crew were considered as contributory factors.

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

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1949 at 0650 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4261
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Sverdlovsk – Kazan – Moscow
MSN:
184 22 401
YOM:
28
Flight number:
SU038
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
3394
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a cargo flight from Sverdlovsk to Moscow via Kazan with a load consisting of cable reels for a total of 1,085 kilos, a lot of syringes, agricultural machinery and postal mail. Weather conditions were marginal at the time of the accident with ceiling at 200 meters, visibility around 6 km in mist. After takeoff, while in initial climb at a height of 20 meters, the aircraft banked left to an angle of 25-30°. The left wing hit the ground and the aircraft crashed in a snow covered field 424 meters further on. The copilot was seriously injured while three other crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Both engines lost power after rotation as the carburetors were frosted and the air intakes were blocked by ice. Severe icing conditions prevailed at the time of the accident but these conditions were underestimated by the local meteorologists. Therefore, the information transmitted to the crew did not reflect the truth.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-12P in Valuevo: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1948 at 1525 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1731
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Khodynka – Lyubertsy – Tashkent
MSN:
8 301 29 08
YOM:
1948
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft was parked at Khodynka and has to be transferred to Tbilisi by an Aeroflot crew from Georgia. Unfortunately, this crew arrived too late and another crew from the Uzbekistan Aeroflot Division took over the airplane for a transfer to Tashkent. After takeoff, the crew failed to announce the modification to ATC, cut the route and continued at an insufficient altitude when the aircraft collided with an Aeroflot Douglas TS-62 registered CCCP-L861. Carrying four passengers and four crew members, the TS-62 just took off from Moscow-Vnukovo Airport and was climbing out bound for Moscow-Bykovo Airport. Both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a wooded area located 6 km southeast of the airport, in Valuevo. Both aircraft were destroyed and all 12 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Wrong decision on part of the Ilyushin II-12' crew who decided to modify his route without prior permission from ATC.

Crash of a Douglas TS-62 in Valuevo: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1948 at 1525 LT
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L861
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Moscow - Moscow
MSN:
12400
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing a positioning flight from Vnukovo Airport to Bykovo, carrying a crew of four and four passengers who were also pilots taking the opportunity of this flight to position to Bykovo. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the TS-62 (Douglas C-47A-10-DK) collided with an Aeroflot Ilyushin II-12P registered CCCP-L1731. Its crew was performing a flight from Moscow to Tashkent via Lyubertsy. Both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a wooded area located 6 km southeast of the airport, in Valuevo. Both aircraft were destroyed and all 12 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was reported that the Ilyushin II-12P was parked at Khodynka and has to be transferred to Tbilisi by an Aeroflot crew from Georgia. Unfortunately, this crew arrived too late and another crew from the Uzbekistan Aeroflot Division took over the airplane for a transfer to Tashkent. After takeoff, the crew failed to announce the modification to ATC, cut the route and continued at an insufficient altitude.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 on Mt Raiiz: 19 killed

Date & Time: Dec 21, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-Zh115
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Mys Kamennyy – Salekhard – Abez
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
19
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing a supply mission for the Ural expedition christened 'Zheldorproyekt'. On the leg from Salekhard to Abez, while cruising in poor weather conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Raiiz, in the Polyarnyy Ural Mountain Range. The wreckage was found few weeks later, in January 1949, and all 19 occupants were killed. The aircraft was owned by the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD – Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del).

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Srednekolymsk: 23 killed

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4463
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Zyrianka – Srednekolymsk
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
21
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
23
Circumstances:
While approaching Srednekolymsk, weather conditions worsened and the radio contact with ATC was lost. The approach was abandoned and the pilot was forced to make a go around as he was unable to locate the airport. A second and a third attempt to land were abandoned as well. While completing a last turn during a fourth approach, the pilot lost control of the aircraft that stalled and crashed in the Kolyma River, about 400 meters short of the runway threshold. Three passengers were seriously injured while 23 other occupants were killed. It appears that the aircraft' speed was too low during the last turn.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Mys Kosistyy: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 1, 1948 at 2140 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-N494
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Kresty Kolymskiye – Chokurdakh – Mys Kosistyy
MSN:
184 30 12
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a cargo flight from Kresty Kolymskiye to Mys Kosistyy with an intermediate stop in Chokurdakh. Approaching this airport, weather conditions were poor and the captain decided to divert to the alternate airport of Ust-Yansk located 420 km west of Chokurdakh. On ground at Ust-Yansk, a technical problem was identified on the right engine. After repairs, some tests were made for 1 hour and 10 minutes and as they were conclusive, it was decided to proceed to Mys Kosistyy. En route, while cruising at an altitude of 2,100 meters, the crew encountered technical problems with the right engine due to a loss of hydraulic pressure. The pilot was able to shut the engine down but unfortunately, it was not possible to feather the propeller. Due to high drag, the aircraft was unable to maintain a safe altitude and the crew elected to make an emergency landing. While descending through clouds, the crew encountered icing conditions and the windscreen was covered by ice. In such conditions, the pilot was unable to distinguish the ground when the aircraft crashed in a frozen area located 16 km east of Mys Kosistyy. The wreckage and the six dead bodies were found 16 days later, on November 17, 1948.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the failure of the right engine was caused by a faulty conception of a hydraulic supply vent. Due to a lack of oil pressure, the engine was shot down but the propeller could not be feathered, causing high drag and necessitating an emergency landing. Heavy flight conditions, high drag, night and poor weather conditions, poor operational organisation, absence of a flight plan and the fact that the crew failed to take a 2 hours fuel reserve were considered as contributory factors.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Samurskaya: 18 killed

Date & Time: Oct 25, 1948 at 1401 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4500
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Krasnodar – Karachayevsk – Sukhumi – Tbilisi
MSN:
184 296 08
YOM:
1948
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
18
Aircraft flight hours:
616
Circumstances:
The aircraft landed in Karachayevsk Airport at 0905LT and the crew took a break for lunch and drank vodka with some airport's officials. The aircraft took off from Karachayevsk at 1230LT bound for Sukhumi, overloaded by 366 kilos. After takeoff, the crew modified his route and continued to the northwest instead of southwest. While flying over mountainous terrain, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds, strong winds and icing. Few minutes later, the aircraft was caught by downdraft, hit two trees on the slope of a mountain, lost its both wings and eventually crashed into a precipice 80 meters down. As the airplane failed to arrive in Sukhumi, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 18 occupants was found. On August 8, 1949, walkers found the wreckage of the aircraft at the altitude of 1,610 meters in a wooded area. Nobody survived.
Probable cause:
If was determined that the the pilots drank alcohol prior to departure and that the aircraft was overloaded. En route, the crew took the decision to change his route several times, violating existing regulations. Poor operational planning, inadequate flight management and lack of assistance on part of the Georgian ATC were considered as contributory factors.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2T near Parshino: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 12, 1948 at 0815 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4658
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Irkutsk – Kirensk – Bodaibo
MSN:
45 08
YOM:
0
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
88
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a cargo flight from Irkutsk to Bodaibo with an intermediate stop in Kirensk, carrying a load of apples and mail for a total of 2,222 kilos. One hour and 13 minutes after his departure from Kirensk, the crew encountered technical problems with both engines that lost power. The captain elected to make an emergency landing when the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in flames in a wooded area located 25 km from Parshino. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all four crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that both engines failed because the carburetor was not properly supplied by fuel that was contaminated by water (up to 16%) that partially iced in the tanks and the fuel supply systems. Investigations revealed that the fuel supply, transportation and storage procedures at Kirensk were not followed properly by the authorities. Fuel tanks were stored in full sun and were not waterproof, allowing condensation to form and contaminate the fuel that have not been drained.