Russia | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The pilot, sole on board, departed Moscow Airport at 2305LT on September 26, one hour beyond the schedule ETD, on a night mail flight to Kharkiv. While cruising at night between the cities of Tula and Orel, the pilot lost his bearings because the light beacon was not functioning. It was later determined that the light beacons between Tula and Orel were out of service after midnight. After more than four hours of flight, the pilot attempted an emergency landing when he lost control of the airplane that crashed in a field located in Arsen'evo. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the accident was the consequence of a loss of control while flying at night without sufficient visual cues. The operations cleared the pilot to complete the flight while the light beacons were unserviceable on the leg from Tula to Orel. Also, the pilot was totally inexperienced in night flight which was considered as contributing factors.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Syrt: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 8, 1935 at 1700 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1890

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Postal (mail)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Moscow – Kuybyshev – Orenburg – Tashkent

MSN:

9480

YOM:

1935

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

167

Aircraft flight cycles:

113

Circumstances:

The pilot, sole on board, departed Moscow on a postal flight to Tashkent with intermediate stops in Kuybyshev and Orenburg. On the leg to Orenburg, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity and heavy rain falls. He decided to continue, descended to an altitude of about 400-500 metres when control was lost. The aircraft crashed in a wheat field located 4 km south of the village of Syrt, some 40 km northwest of Orenburg Airport. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

Loss of control while flying in stormy weather and turbulences.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- Poor flight preparation as the pilot departed Kuybyshev Airport without any information about weather conditions at destination,
- Decision of the pilot to continue in unfavorable weather conditions rather than to return to Kuybyshev or to land asap.

Crash of a Savoia S.55 near Lazarev: 12 killed

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1935 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Savoia-Marchetti S.55

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L840

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinski – Khabarovsk

MSN:

10530

YOM:

1933

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The float plane departed Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinski at 1040LT on a flight to Khabarovsk, carrying nine passengers and three crew members. En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with reduced visibility. At 1158LT, the crew requested the last weather bulletin when radio communications were cut, about two minutes later. Too low, the airplane impacted high pine trees and crashed in a wooded area located in hilly terrain, some 80 metres below the summit. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but eventually abandoned few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 12 occupants was found. The wreckage was found by hunters in September 1935, some 67 km from Lazarev. A watch relatively intact was found on site, indicating 1200LT. In 2016, human remains were repatriated and buried in a cemetery in Khabarovsk.
Crew:
Alexander Svetogorov, pilot,
Mr. Efremov, radio operator,
Mr. Stychenko, flight engineer.
Passengers:
Anton Vasilievich Sheremetiev,
Stepan Shchetinin,
Mr. Baraksin,
Mrs. Baraksin + one infant,
Mr. Granovsky,
Mrs. Dokuchaev,
Mr. Kornyshen,
Mr. Mednis.

Source: http://amurmedia.ru/story/savoya/

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain while cruising at an unsafe altitude in limited visibility.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Ivanovka: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 8, 1935

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-Sh913

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Balashov - Saratov

MSN:

9070

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

Aircraft flight cycles:

204

Circumstances:

The crew consisting of two cadets departed Balashov Airport on a training flight to Saratov. Prior to takeoff at 0900LT, the crew was instructed not to enter clouds and not flying below the minimum altitude of 300 metres. After takeoff from Balashov Airport, bound for the south, the aircraft entered clouds. The pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed in a field located near the village of Ivanovka, some 20 km south of the Balashov Airport. Both occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of a loss of control while flying in clouds. The pilot, a cadet, was inexperienced in such flight conditions. Poor flight preparation and supervision.

Crash of a Tupolev ANT-20 in Tushino: 44 killed

Date & Time: May 18, 1935 at 1245 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-20

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-I20

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Demonstration

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Tushino - Tushino

MSN:

ANT-20-01

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

This first prototype made his first flight on My 19, 1934. One year later, in Tushino, engineers, pilots and technicians working for Tupolev were engaged in a demonstration flight by the Tushino Air Show. Named 'Maxim Gorki', the eight engine machine was completing a demonstration flight over Moscow with three other aircraft: two Polikarpov I-5 and one Tupolev ANT-14. While cruising at a height of about 600 metres, the pilot of the Polikarpov I-5 cruising parallel to the Tupolev on its left side made a turn to complete a tour over the Tupolev. This manoeuvre was prohibited and unscheduled. Most probably the pilot of the Polikarpov misjudged the distance between both aircraft, and the Polikarpov collided with the Tupolev. Following the collision, both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a residential area located in Sokol, near the Tushino Airfield. All 35 occupants on board the 'Maxim Gorki' were killed as well as nine people on the ground and the pilot of the Polikarpov. Up to date, this crash was considered as the worst in the world.
Crew:
I. V. Mikheyev and I. S. Zhurov, pilots of the Maxim Gorki.
Nikolaï Blagin, pilot of the Polikarpov I-5.

Probable cause:

In flight collision caused by a poor judgement on part of the pilot of the Polikarpov I-5.

Crash of a Polikarpov AP near Magnitogorsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1935 at 1615 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov Po-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-A525

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Spraying (Agricultural)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

5939

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

249

Aircraft flight cycles:

868

Circumstances:

The pilot was engaged in a crop spraying flight in the region of Magnitogorsk. Following a sowing mission over a surface of 130 hectares and after completing 58 landings, the pilot was instructed to stop the mission as the goal was to sow 100 hectares and the wind was rising. Nevertheless, he continued and initiated a 270° turn at a height of 15 metres when the airplane stalled and crashed in a field located 30 km from Magnitogorsk. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the accident was the consequence of a loss of speed during the last turn completed at a too low altitude. A poor flight organization and a lack of discipline on part of the pilot were considered as contributing factors.

Crash of a Junkers F.13ce off Brüsterort: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1935

Type of aircraft:

Junkers F.13

Operator:

Registration:

D-OHIL

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

723

YOM:

1924

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew (three student pilots and two instructors) were performing a training flight over the Baltic Sea, working on new telecommunications techniques. While cruising in snow falls, the single engine aircraft crashed into the sea off Brüsterort (now Mayak), East Prussia (now Kaliningrad). No trace of the aircraft nor the five crew members was ever found. Pilot Arthur Kühnke +4.

Crash of a Putilov Stal-2 in Slobodshikovo: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 10, 1935 at 1405 LT

Type of aircraft:

Putilov Stal-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1170

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Arkhangelsk – Kotlas – Syktyvkar

MSN:

170

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was completing a schedule service from Arkhangelsk to Syktyvkar with an intermediate stop in Kotlas, carrying one passenger and two crew members. The crew departed Kotlas at 1240LT on the final leg to Syktyvkar. Approaching the village of Korovinskaya, the pilot encountered sudden heavy snow falls for a period of time of about 15-20 minutes. The visibility was very poor and the pilot decided not to return and continued in such conditions. Few minutes later, while cruising in a flat attitude in white conditions, the airplane impacted ground and crashed one km southeast of Slobodshikovo. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain following the pilot's decision to continue the flight at an insufficient altitude in reduced visibility due to heavy snow falls while it would have been better to fly back to Kotlas.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Kazan: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 26, 1935 at 1220 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1057

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Sverdlovsk – Yanaul – Kazan – Moscow

MSN:

6259

YOM:

1933

Location:

Kazan

Republic of Tatarstan

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot departed Sverdlovsk Airport on a mail/cargo flight to Moscow with intermediate stops in Yanaul and Kazan. After passing the night in Yanaul, he departed Yanaul bound for Kazan. Upon arrival, weather conditions worsened with limited visibility due to fog. At a height of about 70-80 metres on approach, the airplane collided with a 105 metres high radio antenna. The left fuel tank was punched and a fire erupted. The airplane continued for a distance of 200 metres then crashed in a field, bursting into flames. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of a collision at low altitude and in poor visibility with the mast of a radio antenna.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- Marginal weather conditions at destination with 8-10 octas at 300-600 metres altitude, wind from the south at 15-25 km/h, fog with 500 metres visibility,
- The pilot was cleared for takeoff despite the weather conditions at destination were considered as poor,
- The pilot has not been informed about the deterioration of the weather conditions at destination,
- The pilot was freshly licensed, inexperienced and flew this route for the first time,
- The pilot descended below the minimum safe altitude of 100 metres.