Crash of an Antonov AN-12A in Norilsk: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jun 22, 1992 at 1245 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-11896
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Andijan – Omsk – Norilsk
MSN:
3 3 409 06
YOM:
1963
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Aircraft flight hours:
15654
Aircraft flight cycles:
6487
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Andijan to Norilsk with an intermediate stop in Omsk, carrying five passengers, seven crew members and a load of 12 tons of fruits. En route from Omsk to Norilsk, the crew was forced to divert to Igarka Airport due to poor weather conditions at destination. Finally, the aircraft departed Igarka on the last leg of the day. Upon arrival at Norilsk, weather conditions were as follow: overcast with clouds down to 100 metres, visibility 2,410 metres, mist, heavy rain falls, OAT 0° and humidity 98%. On short final, after he established a visual contact with the ground, the captain realized that his position was wrong as the airplane was approaching the runway 220 metres from its threshold but 330 metres to the left of its extended centerline. The captain decided to initiate a go-around procedure when the aircraft pitched up to an angle of 16°. With such excessive angle of attack, the aircraft rolled to the left then struck the ground to the left of the runway. It rolled for about 60 metres then took off again. With a nose-up attitude of 14°, the aircraft climbed with a rate of 7 metres per second until the height of 55 metres then stalled again. It rolled to the right by angle of 45° and struck the ground at a speed of 200 km/h before crashing 1,332 metres past the runway end. The copilot and a passenger were seriously injured while 10 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of a wrong approach configuration on part of the crew who allowed the aircraft to deviate from the approach glide above the permissible limit. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Unsatisfactory crew interactions during the approach procedure,
- Once the decision altitude was reached, the captain unreasonably left the controls to the copilot,
- The crew decided to continue the descent beyond the minimum decision height without visual contact with the runway/approach lights,
- The decision to initiate a go-around procedure was taken too late,
- The performance level of the crew may have been reduced due to a long shift,
- Poor weather conditions at destination airport.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2V in Taymyr Lake

Date & Time: May 6, 1992
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-50585
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1G131-27
YOM:
1971
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in the Taymyr Lake. There were no casualties.

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

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1992
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-70451
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Sukharevo - Sukharevo
MSN:
1G143-30
YOM:
1973
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a crop-spraying flight in Sukharevo, about 23 km southwest of Nizhnekamsk. While cruising at low altitude, the engine lost power due carburetor icing. The crew attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft collided with a high voltage power line and crashed. Both pilots were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure after carburetor iced up.

Crash of a Let L-410UVP in Bajkovo: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1992
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-67130
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Bajkovo
MSN:
80 03 26
YOM:
1980
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
On approach to Bajkovo Airfield under VFR mode, the crew encountered poor visibility with local fog banks. At an altitude of about 300 metres, while flying in fog, the twin engine aircraft struck a hill and crashed 5 km from the airstrip. A propeller detached and penetrated the fuselage, killing one passenger. All other occupants were rescued and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The crew continued the approach under VFR mode in below minima weather conditions. It was also reported that the aircraft departed Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport with a total weight of 262 kilos above MTOW.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 near Magadan: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1992
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-55607
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Evensk - Magadan
MSN:
1 126 473 19
YOM:
1959
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While approaching Magadan on a flight from Evensk, weather conditions deteriorated with low clouds and heavy snow falls. The crew decided to continue and due to strong winds, the aircraft deviated from the prescribed route. While flying in clouds at an altitude of 885 metres, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located near the Cheka River mouth, about 60 km northeast of Magadan. Four occupants were injured and the captain was killed.
Probable cause:
The crew decided to continue under VFR mode in IMC conditions. At the time of the accident, the visibility was poor due to low clouds and heavy snow falls. The crew failed to return and did not realize his was off course by 26 km due to limited visibility.

Crash of an Antonov AN-30 near Nizhneyansk: 10 killed

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1992 at 0237 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-30002
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Anadyr - Chokurdakh - Tiksi - Baku
MSN:
1403
YOM:
1978
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Anadyr Airport on a cargo flight to Baku with intermediate stops in Chokurdakh and Tiksi, carrying five passengers and five crew members. While in cruising altitude by night, the aircraft suffered violent oscillations and started to pitch up and down. It entered an uncontrolled descent and at an altitude of 2,000 metres, it partially disintegrated and eventually crashed at a speed of 670 km/h in an icy river. All 10 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew disengaged and re-engaged several times the automatic pilot system for unknown reasons. This created tail and elevators' movements and the reaction of the crew was inappropriate. The aircraft suffered violent oscillations on both roll and pitch axis then entered an uncontrolled descent. The partial disintegration was the consequence of aerodynamic forces that exceeded the aircraft certification.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Moscow

Date & Time: Dec 31, 1991
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-87553
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
9 21 04 21
YOM:
1972
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
For unknown reasons, the three engine aircraft landed hard on its nose, causing the nose gear to collapse. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The exact date of the mishap remains unknown, somewhere in 1991.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Velsk

Date & Time: Dec 30, 1991
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-87521
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
9 52 03 41
YOM:
1975
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
21
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew started the takeoff procedure in white conditions and blizzard. The pilot-in-command completed the rotation prematurely while the aircraft's speed was insufficient. At liftoff, the right wing stalled and struck the snow on the right side of the runway. The aircraft then continued for few dozen metres, struck a tree and an embankment before coming to rest, bursting into flames. Fire was quickly extinguished but the aircraft was written off. Eight passengers and three crew members were injured.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew initiated rotation prematurely while the aircraft's speed was insufficient. At the time of the accident, the total weight of the aircraft was 535 kilos above MTOW. Poor weather conditions were also a contributing factor.