Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Tigil

Date & Time: Sep 23, 2001
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-87481
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
9 44 09 38
YOM:
1974
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
For unknown reasons, the aircraft landed hard and bounced several times before landing firmly. On touchdown, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest. All 21 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-76MD in Moscow: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jul 14, 2001 at 0853 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-76588
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Moscow – Norilsk – Bratsk – Taiyuan
MSN:
00434 51530
YOM:
1984
Flight number:
RUR9633
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Aircraft flight hours:
3523
Aircraft flight cycles:
1831
Circumstances:
The aircraft was engaged in a cargo flight from Moscow to Taiyuan, China, with intermediate stops in Norilsk and Bratsk, carrying two passengers, eight crew members and a load of 40,2 tons of construction materials. Due to foggy conditions, the horizontal visibility was reduced to 500-900 metres and the vertical visibility was estimated to be 70-80 metres. Following a takeoff roll of about 2,700 metres, the captain started the rotation at a speed of 290 km/h (about 25 km/h above the recommended speed). At a height of about 10 metres, the pilot-in-command started a turn to the right of 7° in order to compensate a deviation to the left during the takeoff roll. At a height of 23-24 metres, the stabilizers' position changed from -5,4° to -3,9° and the aircraft started to lose altitude. One second prior to impact, the elevator were in a 11-12° pitch angle and at a height of 20-21 metres, both right engines n°3 and 4 collided with trees at a distance of 930 metres from the runway end and 47 metres to the right of its extended centerline. Upon impact, both engines were torn off and the aircraft crashed in a wooded area located 1,460 metres past the runway end, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 10 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The following contributing factors were identified:
- A series of negligences was noted in the operations of the company and the maintenance of the airplane,
- The flight was not properly prepared and the total weight of the aircraft was well above the MTOW,
- Due to the combination of the following factors, the pilots did not take the corrective actions to maintain a good climb path:
- Lack of seriousness and lack of documentation control during cargo loading at Chkalovsky Airport,
- Lack of rigor and non-compliance with standard operating procedures regarding the pre-takeoff check of the cargo, which led the ground personnel to load cargo with a total weight in excess of 13,6 to 14 tons,
- At takeoff, the total weight of the aircraft was estimated to be 204 tons while it was certified for a maximum weight of 191.9 tons taking into account all factors at the time of the accident,
- All crew members were unable to identify in due time the successive errors made by the captain (pilot-in-command), among others the stabilizers that were prematurely positioned in an angle of -3.9 ° while the trailing edge flaps were retracted, causing the lift to be insufficient,
- The coordination within the flight crew was ineffective and the copilot and the navigator did not pay sufficient attention to the altitude of the aircraft through flight conditions in reduced visibility,
- Lack of visibility caused by foggy conditions which did not allow the flight crew to distinguish in time the obstacles located past the runway end,
- As a result of this accident, the operator certificate was revoked.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R near Veydelev

Date & Time: Jul 12, 2001
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-01447
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1G231-28
YOM:
1988
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
2153
Aircraft flight cycles:
8462
Circumstances:
The aircraft was dispatched in the region of Veydelev to perform a crop spraying mission. On board were three pilots, one copilot seating in the jumpseat, one instructor seating in the right seat and one pilot seating in the left seat. After a first pass over the area to be treated at a speed of 140 km/h and at an altitude of 130 metres, the crew initiated a right turn during which the aircraft banked right to an angle of 90°, descended to 60-70 metres and lost speed to 130 km/h while at this stage, its speed should be 155-160 km/h. As the crew was facing a hill, he decided to increase power to gain height but the aircraft struck the ground in a landing configuration. The crew reduced the engine power and started to brake when, at a speed of 50-60 km/h, the aircraft struck trees and came to rest in a wooded area. All three occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of a crew error in the piloting technique when flying in difficult terrain conditions, which manifested itself in a loss of speed and flight altitude, which led to an unintentional landing of the aircraft and its collision with ground obstacles. The error in the piloting technique became possible due to the unstable piloting skills of the pilot-in-command and the failure of the instructor to fulfill his duties. It was reported that the pilot-in-command did not fly for about five years.

Crash of a Pilatus PC-12/45 in the Sea of Okhotsk

Date & Time: Jul 8, 2001 at 1345 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N660NR
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Hakodate - Magadan
MSN:
356
YOM:
2000
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On July 8, 2001, approximately 1345 local time (0245UTC), a Pilatus PC-12/45, N660NR, registered to a US private owner, operated by Jeflyn Aviation, Inc. doing business as Access Air, and being flown by a US certificated airline transport rated pilot, was presumed destroyed following a ditching in the Sea of Okhotsk, Western Pacific Ocean. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the three remaining Japanese passengers were uninjured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan had been filed and activated. The flight, which was returning to the United States following a round-the-world trip, was being operated under 14CFR91 as a business trip. The aircraft had originated from Hakodate, Japan, departing 0910 hours local time and was destined for Magadan, Russia. The pilot reported in a telephonic interview that the aircraft was established in cruise at 8,100 meters altitude when he felt a vibration followed by a rapid increase in the engine's Turbine Temperature Indication (TTI). He reported that the TTI reached 1144 degrees during which there was a compressor stall. He shut the engine down, feathered the propeller, and initiated a power off emergency descent. During the emergency descent the pilot radioed a mayday on 121.5 MHz, set his transponder to code 7700, and manually activated the emergency locator beacon. The aircraft descended through multiple cloud layers during which the pilot and passengers prepared for the ditching. The pilot reported that upon breaking through the bottom of the last overcast layer, at 100 feet above the water, he encountered swells of approximately 8-12 feet height. He ditched the aircraft on the crest of a swell and the aircraft came to a stop floating in an upright, level attitude. All four occupants exited the aircraft through the main cabin door into a life raft. Over a period of several hours the occupants lost sight of the floating aircraft and after about 15 hours they were picked up by a Russian container ship and airlifted to Sakhalin Island.
Probable cause:
Engine failure for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-154M in Burdakovka: 145 killed

Date & Time: Jul 4, 2001 at 0208 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-85845
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Yekaterinburg – Irkutsk – Vladivostok
MSN:
86A735
YOM:
1986
Flight number:
XF352
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
136
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
145
Aircraft flight hours:
20953
Aircraft flight cycles:
11387
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Yekaterinburg Airport on a regular schedule flight (XF352) to Vladivostok with an intermediate stop at Irkutsk. The flight departed Yekaterinburg at 1947LT and climbed to the assigned cruising altitude of 10,100 metres. Some three hours into the flight, at 0150LT, the crew started the descent to Irkutsk Intl Airport. The copilot was the pilot-in-command. At 0205LT, the crew reported at 2,100 metres with the runway in sight. At this time, the aircraft' speed was 540 km/h. The maximum speed at which the landing gear may be lowered was 400 km/h. At 0206:56 the airplane leveled off at 900 metres with an airspeed still at 420 km/h. The first officer asked for gear down and the speed further decreased to 395 km/h with engines at idle. When the gear was down and locked, the airplane entered a left bank angle of 20-23°. The airspeed continued to drop to 365 km/h while the recommended speed was 370 km/h at this stage of the flight. Power was added slowly. This was only just sufficient for maintaining an altitude of 850 metres at 355-360 km/h. At 0207:46, while still in the left hand turn, the angle of attack increased to 16,5° because the autopilot attempted to maintain altitude with a decreasing speed. An aural warning sounded, informing the crew about a high angle of attack. The first officer attempted to correct this by using the control column and disconnected the autopilot. Because he deflected the control column to the left, the left bank increased to the maximum permissible value of -30° to -44°, and then to -48°. In a nose down attitude, the speed increased to 400 km/h then the aircraft entered clouds. By night, the crew lost visual contact with the ground and was not able to observe the natural horizon. In such conditions, the captain took over controls but alternately deflected the steering wheel to the left and right. An intensive deflection of steering control to the right caused a positive angular acceleration of +4,4° per second. The captain reacted by deflecting the steering wheel to the left again. The first officer now realized that the airplane was in a severe left bank of -45° and indicated that they should be rolling to the right. Because of an increase in vertical descent rate of 20 metres per seconds, one of the crew members pulled the control column. The airplane pitched up rapidly then entered a stall and a subsequent flat spin before crashing in an open field 22 seconds later. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 145 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of a wrong approach configuration on part of the flying crew. The following contributing factors were identified:
- Poor control actions on part of the crew, which caused the aircraft to enter a super critical angle of attack followed by a stall and a spin,
- Violation of interactions by the crew regarding the separation of responsibilities for piloting established by the pilot-in-command,
- Lack of proper control to maintain flight parameters during the approach, in reference to the TU-154 flight operations manual,
- Poor crew interactions.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 off Volzhsky: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 2, 2001
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft was engaged in a local skydiving mission in the region of Volgograd. After some of the skydivers jumped out, the pilot decided to return to his departure point and two passengers remained in the cabin. For unknown reasons, the pilot started a quick descent when, at an altitude of 1,000 metres, he lost control of the airplane that entered a dive and crashed at a speed of 310 km/h in the Akthuba River located near Volzhsky. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
For unknown reasons, the pilot initiated a rapid descent when, apparently, the passenger who was seating on the copilot seat (and was not wearing his seatbelt), fell on the control column, causing the aircraft to become uncontrollable.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12B in Myakotino: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 22, 2001 at 1635 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-12135
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Rzhev – Morshansk
MSN:
00 347 002
YOM:
1970
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a cargo flight to Morshansk with a load consisting of a jet fighter engine. Seven minutes after takeoff from Rzhev Airport, while climbing to an altitude of 2,600 meters, the aircraft went out of control, entered a spin and crashed in a swampy and wooded area located in Myakotino, southeast of Rzhev. All seven crew members were killed. It is believed that control was lost following an engine failure and after the crew was unable to feather its propeller.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Novoaleksandrovsk

Date & Time: Apr 27, 2001 at 1131 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-40997
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Novoaleksandrovsk - Novoaleksandrovsk
MSN:
1G217-37
YOM:
1986
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a crop spraying mission in Novoaleksandrovsk. Shortly after takeoff, while at a height of about 50 metres, the crew raised the flaps when the engine failed. The crew elected to restart the engine but without success. In such situation, the captain attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crash landed in a field and eventually collided with trees. Both pilots were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The engine failed because the fuel used by the operator was not approved nor suitable for such engine.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Nekrasovskaya

Date & Time: Apr 25, 2001 at 1730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-17832
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Nekrasovskaya - Nekrasovskaya
MSN:
1G204-33
YOM:
1983
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was dispatched at Nekrasovskaya to perform a crop spraying mission for the farm 'Rossia'. While flying at an insufficient height of 5 metres, the copilot saw power cables and elected to gain height to avoid the collision. But the captain took over control and plunged the aircraft to pass below the line. The power cables struck the tail that was partially torn off. The aircraft nosed down and crashed in an open field, bursting into flames. Both pilots were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of the combination of the following factors:
- Poor flight preparation on part of the crew who failed to locate various obstacles situated in and around the spraying area,
- The captain took the decision to complete the mission at an insufficient height of five metres while the minimum height was fixed at 20 metres,
- Poor crew coordination.