Crash of a Focke-Wulf Fw.200C Condor into the Kara Sea

Date & Time: Dec 13, 1946
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-N400
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Igarka – Arkhangelsk
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
90
Circumstances:
Enroute, the crew encountered technical problems with two engines that should be shut down and their propeller feathered. Few minutes later, a third engine failed and the captain decided to attempt an emergency landing in the icy bay of Bajdarackaja Guba located in the south part of the Kara Sea. The aircraft crashed landed on ice and came to rest with its right wing broken in two and the engine number one sheared off. All 21 occupants were evacuated 16 days later. Recently imported in Russia, the aircraft totalized 90 flying hours only.

Crash of a Kawasaki Ki-56 near Susuman: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 7, 1946 at 1015 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
6
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Susuman – Zyrianka
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a rescue mission from Susuman to Zyrianka on behalf of the Ministry of Interior (MVD – Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del). Shortly after takeoff, the left engine failed and the pilot increased power on the right engine that failed as well. The crew elected to return to Susuman when the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a snowy field located in Berelyokh, about 10 km from Susuman. The aircraft was destroyed and all 7 occupants were killed. Some repairs were recently performed on the right engine and it appears the aircraft was not tested before the flight.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure.

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

Date & Time: Nov 9, 1946
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4145
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Kuybyshev – Ufa – Sverdlovsk
MSN:
184 190 03
YOM:
21
Flight number:
SU236
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Aircraft flight hours:
1470
Circumstances:
One hour and 35 minutes after its departure from Kuybyshev Airport, bound for Sverdlovsk, the oil pressure on the left engine dropped and the crew decided to shut it down and to feather the propeller. The captain decided to divert to Ufa for a safe landing but due to low clouds, he was unable to locate the airport. When the aircraft broke through the cloud layer, it was in fact above the city and when the crew increased power on the right engine, it failed because it overheat. In such conditions, the captain made a turn to leave the area and continued to the Belaya River to attempt an emergency landing. Eventually, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in flames in a wooded area near the river bank, killing all seven occupants.
Probable cause:
Wrong decision on part of the crew who cut the wrong engine after failure.

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

Date & Time: Nov 5, 1946 at 1855 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4207
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Vilnius – Moscow
MSN:
184 209 08
YOM:
0
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
22
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
1290
Circumstances:
On approach to Moscow-Vnukovo Airport, the crew was instructed to stack over the area due to poor weather conditions. Four times, the pilot attempted to land, but was forced to make a go around. After 75 minutes, the pilot informed ATC he was short of fuel and was assisted because one of the radio-compass was out of service. On final approach, both engines failed simultaneously and the aircraft stalled and crashed few hundred yards short of runway. A passenger was killed while all other occupants were rescued. The aircraft was written off. Most of the passenger were flying to Moscow to take part in celebrations of the October Revolution.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure caused by fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-5-DK in Moscow: 13 killed

Date & Time: Nov 5, 1946 at 1830 LT
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L946
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Berlin – Riga – Moscow
MSN:
14572/26017
YOM:
16
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
22
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Aircraft flight hours:
1675
Circumstances:
On approach to Moscow, the crew was instructed to stack over the airport due to poor weather conditions. More than two hours later, the crew informed ATC that he was short of fuel and received the permission to attempt to land. On final approach, by low visibility due to foggy conditions, the captain was unable to locate the runway and decided to make a go around. The airplane climbed to a height of 15 meters and then stalled and crashed in a wooded area located 700 meters short of runway threshold. Thirteen passengers were killed while 13 other occupants were injured. Most of the passenger were flying to Moscow to take part in celebrations of the October Revolution.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Yamshchina: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 5, 1946 at 1807 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4181
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Achkhabad – Voronezh – Moscow
MSN:
184 200 06
YOM:
1945
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Aircraft flight hours:
1517
Circumstances:
The flight from Voronezh to Moscow-Vnukovo was cancelled due to poor weather in Voronezh. Eventually, the crew left Voronezh two days later on a ferry flight to Moscow. On approach, weather conditions were poor and the crew was forced to stack over the area. More than two hours later, the crew informed ATC that he was short of fuel and requested an immediate landing when the aircraft crashed in Yamshchina, about 12 km northwest of Vnukovo Airfield. All five crew members were killed. At the time of the accident, 17 other aircraft were stacking in the area and awaiting for weather improvement to land in Vnukovo Airport.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m near Kazan

Date & Time: Apr 30, 1946
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L27
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kazan – Moscow
MSN:
7341
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
An engine caught fire in flight while enroute to Moscow. The captain decided to divert to Kazan Airfield where a safe landing was performed. Repairs were completed on the engine and the crew departed for Moscow few hours later. Shortly after takeoff, the same engine caught fire again while a second one lost power few seconds later. Unable to maintain a sufficient speed, the pilot lost control of the aircraft that stalled and crashed in a wooded area. All occupants were rescued while the aircraft, seized by the Russian Army to the Germans, was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Engine fire.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DL on Mt Guram: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 2, 1946
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L924
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Tbilisi – Rostov-on-Don
MSN:
9429
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Aircraft flight hours:
1864
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Tbilisi Airport, the crew decided to modify his route without any coordination with ATC. Shortly later, while flying over the Caucasian mountains in poor weather conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Guram. As the aircraft failed to arrive in Rostov, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The wreckage was located by walkers on July 20, 1947, at an altitude of 3,000 meters.
Probable cause:
At the time of the accident, the aircraft was off track by 93 km relating to the flight plan that was filed. The accident resulted in a controlled flight into terrain as the crew was unable to distinguish the mountain range in poor visibility.

Crash of a Kawasaki Ki-56 in Zyrianka: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1946
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
514
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Zyrianka – Seymchan
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Just after liftoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft banked left and then rolled to the right, causing the right wing to hit the ground. Out of control, the aircraft veered to the right and eventually crashed in a snow covered field. Six occupants were slightly injured while a pilot was killed. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
At the time of the accident, the aircraft was carrying a load of 1,125 kg of various goods plus 1,400 liters of fuel. It was determined that the total weight of the aircraft was well above the MTOW. Also, the crew did not deice the airplane prior to departure and failed to clear the wings from snow, which was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DK in Bakovka: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1946 at 1209 LT
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L893
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Moscow – Minsk – Berlin
MSN:
13096
YOM:
23
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Aircraft flight hours:
1581
Circumstances:
About five minutes after takeoff from Moscow-Vnukovo Airport, while climbing to a height of some 150 meters, the aircraft banked left, dove into the ground and crashed 800 meters south of Bukovka. All five crew members were killed. They were performing a cargo flight to Berlin with an intermediate stop in Minsk, carrying a load of newspapers for a total weight of 2,350 kilos.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, investigators reported that the loss of control may have been caused by an excessive accumulation of ice on the carburetors or on the Pitot tubes or on the windshield or on all three simultaneously.