Russia

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L854

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Moscow-Bykovo - Moscow-Vnukovo

MSN:

12253

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a positioning flight from Bykovo to Vnukovo. Fifteen minutes into the flight, the left engine failed and the crew was unable to feather the propeller. Due to high drag, the captain decided to divert to Sukovo Airport but the undercarriage could not be locked. While trying to make a go around, the right engine overheated, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a wooded area located near the airport. Two crew members were slightly injured while three others were killed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Netrubezh: 22 killed

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1946 at 1135 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4150

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Kharkiv – Moscow-Vnukovo

MSN:

184 200 01

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

635

Circumstances:

While cruising at an altitude of some 400-600 meters, the aircraft suffered from severe icing. This resulting in a buffeting of the tail and led a part of the left stabilizer to brake off, one hour and 17 minutes into the flight. Consequently, the aircraft entered a spin and the crew tried a recovery manoeuvre at a height of some 150-200 meters when the aircraft broke apart and crashed in Netrubezh, some 75 km northeast of Kursk. All 22 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Severe icing conditions caused a part of the left stabilizer to detach in flight.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Dudinka: 10 killed

Date & Time: Dec 25, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After liftoff, while climbing to a height of some 300 meters, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames in a field. All ten occupants were killed. It appears that an engine caught fire during the initial climb.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Tiksi

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-N367

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site:

Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)

Schedule:

Tiksi – Moscow

Location:

Tiksi

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

During the takeoff roll, the copilot retracted the landing gear prematurely and switched off the spotlights, without any authorization from the captain. When he tried to switch them on, the aircraft sank back onto the runway and landed on its belly. Then it skidded for several yards before coming to rest in flames. Three occupants were injured while three others were unhurt. The aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

Lack of crew coordination, letting the copilot to retract the undercarriage and to switch off the spotlight without prior permission from the captain.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-10-DK in Novisibirsk: 16 killed

Date & Time: Dec 4, 1945 at 1910 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L950

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Ulan Bator – Krasnoyarsk – Novosibirsk – Moscow

MSN:

14884/26329

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1241

Circumstances:

The descent to Novosibirsk Airport was started by night and in poor weather conditions with low clouds and fog. On final approach, while at a height of 50 meters, the aircraft hit with its right wing a radio transmitter. The wing was partially sheared off and the aircraft crashed. All 16 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was reported that the information related to the weather conditions and transmitted to the crew did not reflect the truth and that the approach was started in below minima conditions. Technical issues with ground communications were considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Tiksi

Date & Time: Nov 15, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-N362

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)

Location:

Tiksi

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Enroute to Tiksi, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and lost his orientation. Later, both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion and the captain attempted to make an emergency landing. The aircraft eventually crash landed about 2 km from the Tiksi Airfield and came to rest in a prairie. While there were no casualties, the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure caused by a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Siebel Si-204D in Krasnoyarsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 20, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Siebel Si-204

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-N372

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

Tupolev ANT-4 (TB-1 & G-1)

Schedule:

Krasnoyarsk - Molokov Island

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was grounded on September 25, 1945, due to technical problems on the right engine, and was ferried for repair to the Osoaviakhim Airfield in Krasnoyarsk where it was used for some unauthorized training flights between 17 and 20 of October. On October 20, on a ferry flight from the Osoaviakhim Airfield to an airfield on the Molokov island located in the Yenisei River for repair (as the repair capacities at the Osoaviakhim Airfield were limited), the right engine caught fire some 3-4 minutes into the flight. Smoke spread in the cabin and the intoxicated pilot decided to return to the Osoaviakhim Airfield but did not manage to do it. The aircraft lost height on final approach, hit a fence and crash landed. The pilot was killed while the flight mechanic as well as the sole (unauthorized) passenger were injured.

Probable cause:

The accident was the result of the combination of several factors in flight operations and with the crew. In their report, the experts stated that the pilot conducted several training flights during the three days preceding the accident despite the fact that the right engine was not running properly. Due to lack of discipline, the pilot decided to transfer the plane to the island of Molokov with a flight mechanic and a passenger despite the fact that he was not authorized. Some confusion settled with the pilot when the right engine failed, which led him to perform inappropriate actions. The company decided to use this type of aircraft without having the adequate technical description, which had a negative impact on its maintenance and operation. Finally, the pilot did not receive sufficient training on this type of aircraft on which he was not familiarized with its performances, especially in the case of an engine failure.

Crash of a Tupolev G-1 near Stalino

Date & Time: Apr 26, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-N291

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Kresty Kolymsky – Anadyr

MSN:

614

YOM:

1930

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a flight from Kresty Kolymsky to Anadyr on behalf of the Chukotskaya Aviagruppa on this Tupolev G-1, a version of the ANT-4. The captain (M. N. Tomilin) decided to cut the route short when shortly later, he encountered below-minima weather conditions (poor visibility, snow and icing). Instead to return, he decided to continue in such conditions when the aircraft crash-landed in the foothills of the Pekulny range on the upper reaches of the Afonkin River, some 60 km east of Stalino (now Mukhomornaya). The aircraft was lost while all three crew members were slightly injured and rescued.

Probable cause:

Wrong decision on part of the captain to continue the flight in below-minima weather conditions.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Mulden: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1945

Type of aircraft: