Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 in Troitskoye

Date & Time: Feb 23, 1982
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-01569
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Khabarovsk – Troitskoye – Herpuchi
MSN:
1G81-13
YOM:
1967
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Troitskoye, the single engine airplane encountered difficulties to gain height. It struck trees located at the end of the runway, stalled and crashed. All three occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the aircraft passed the overnight outside and was not protected against icing conditions. For unknown reasons, the crew failed to deice the airplane prior to takeoff and the airplane was unable to gain sufficient height as all wings and fuselage were contaminated with frost.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12 in Ulan-Ude: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 12, 1982
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Ulan-Ude - Ulan-Ude
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training flight at Ulan-Ude Airport. While circling in the vicinity of the airport, the crew lost control of the airplane following a failure of all four engines. The aircraft stalled and crashed in a field located 4 km from the airport. All six crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Failure of all four engines due to a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Let L-410M near Praskoveyevka: 18 killed

Date & Time: Jan 7, 1982 at 1335 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-67290
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Gelendzhik – Sukhumi
MSN:
78 11 01
YOM:
1977
Flight number:
SU96G
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
18
Aircraft flight hours:
1895
Aircraft flight cycles:
3747
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Gelendzhik Airport at 1325LT on a schedule service to Sukhumi, Georgia, carrying 16 passengers and two pilots. Weather at that time was marginal with rain falls and a relative low ceiling. Four minutes after takeoff, at 1329LT, the crew informed ATC he was leaving the airport area and his position was about 12 km from the airport at an altitude of 450 meters. Six minutes later, while flying in clouds, the airplane struck trees and crashed in a wooded area located 22 km southeast of Gelendzhik Airport, bursting into flames. The burned wreckage was found three days later, on January 10, near Praskoveyevka, at an altitude of 350 meters. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 18 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew decided to continue the flight under VFR mode in adverse weather conditions and also failed to consider the wind component. This caused the aircraft to drift off course by 3,7 km to a mountainous area. While cruising in clouds at an insufficient altitude, the airplane contacted trees and crashed.

Crash of an Antonov AN-26 in Yeniseysk: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1981 at 1759 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-26505
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
67 01
YOM:
1978
Flight number:
SU22237
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
4686
Aircraft flight cycles:
4237
Circumstances:
The airplane was completing a cargo flight to Yeniseysk, carrying six crew members, a passenger in charge of the cargo and a load of 1,042 kilos of sausages, 1,200 kilos of meat, 550 kilos of haring and 2,152 kilos of oranges. The approach was initiated by night and poor weather conditions with limited visibility due to snow falls. On final, approach lights were turned on when the crew saw trees. The captain decided to gain height and increased engine power when the airplane struck trees located on the top of a hill, stalled and crashed in a wooded area located 105 meters to the right of the inner marker and 1,140 meters from the runway threshold. Two crew members were killed while five other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the navigator, the radio operator and the mechanic were intoxicated at the time of the accident. The flight engineer and the navigator failed to follow the approach procedures, probably due to the influence of alcohol. The navigator failed to maintain the calculated rate of descent and altitude, failed to report about what has been achieved in terms of visibility CDF earth landmarks. The mechanic failed to report the airspeed and the altitude in reference of the radio altimeter until 60 meters above the ground. Poor crew coordination and the fact that the captain failed to initiate a go-around procedure were considered as contributing factors.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2TP near Deputatsky

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1981 at 1421 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-92858
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Keperveem – Chersky – Chokurdakh – Deputatsky
MSN:
1G53-10
YOM:
1965
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
10619
Aircraft flight cycles:
12829
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a special flight from Keperveem to Deputatsky with intermediate stops in Chersky and Chokurdakh. After takeoff from Chokurdakh, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and lost his orientation. The aircraft deviated from the prescribed route by 110 km. As the airplane ran out of fuel, the crew attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed about 13 km from Deputatsky. All three crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew failed to calculate properly the wind component en route from Chokurdakh to Deputatsky, causing the aircraft to be off course. Due to a longer flight than initially planed with two hours and 22 minutes, fuel reserve were low and the crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2P in Ust-Kulom: 15 killed

Date & Time: Nov 26, 1981 at 1013 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-01808
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Ust-Kulom-Syktyvkar
MSN:
1G107-55
YOM:
1969
Flight number:
SU210I
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Aircraft flight hours:
11704
Aircraft flight cycles:
16670
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Ust-Kulom Airport, en route to Syktyvkar, the single engine airplane collided with an Aeroflot PZL-Mielec AN-2TP registered CCCP-40564 that was inbound to Ust-Kulom on a flight from Syktyvkar. While the second airplane was able to land without further incident, the first airplane entered a dive and crashed in a field located 12 km from the airport. All 15 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was limited due to low clouds.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the collision was the consequence of the following:
- The crew of AN-2 CCCP-01808 failed to follow the departure route and altitude, departure procedures,
- Limited visibility due to low clouds,
- Lack of ATC assistance who failed to transmit suitable information to both crews,
- Late detection of the climbing aircraft by the inbound crew.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-154B-2 in Norilsk: 99 killed

Date & Time: Nov 16, 1981 at 1737 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-85480
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Krasnoyarsk - Norilsk
MSN:
81A480
YOM:
1981
Flight number:
SU3603
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
160
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
99
Aircraft flight hours:
1889
Aircraft flight cycles:
697
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Krasnoyarsk, the crew started the descent to Norilsk-Alykel Airport. At an altitude of about 600 meters and a speed of 370 km/h, the undercarriage were lowered. At a distance of 19 km from the airport, at an altitude of 500 meters and a speed of 300 km/h, flaps were deployed to an angle of 28°. At this time, the crew calculated the landing speed at 265 km/h according to flight conditions and the total weight of the aircraft. Unfortunately, this calculation was wrong and the correct speed should be 270 km/h. On short final, the airplane descended below the glide and struck the ground at a speed of 261 km/h about 470 meters short of runway threshold. It slid for about 300 meters on an icy ground before coming to rest, bursting into flames. 68 occupants were injured while 99 others were killed, among them four crew members. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The accident resulted from a loss of longitudinal controllability on short final due to the combination of the following factors:
- A significant reduction in the efficiency of the stabilizers after they were positioned beyond an angle of -20 °,
- An automatic reduction of power on all three engine close to idle,
- An aircraft with a forward center of gravity,
- An insufficient approach speed,
- An excessive rate of descent,
- The late recognition by the crew of an emergency situation,
- The failure of the crew to initiate a go-around procedure.

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

Date & Time: Nov 10, 1981
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-92862
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1G53-14
YOM:
1965
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed while landing in an unsuitable terrain in Ukhta. There were no casualties while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Zheleznogorsk: 33 killed

Date & Time: Sep 18, 1981 at 1213 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-87455
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Irkutsk - Zheleznogorsk
MSN:
9 43 12 36
YOM:
1974
Flight number:
SU652
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
29
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
33
Aircraft flight hours:
10455
Aircraft flight cycles:
9784
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Irkutsk-Magan Airport, the crew started the descent to Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy Airport in relative good weather conditions with a horizontal visibility of 20 km. On final, at an altitude of 400 meters, the three engine airplane collided with a Soviet Air Force Mil Mi-8 helicopter registered CCCP-22268. Inbound from Bratsk, the helicopter was completing a training mission with seven people on board. Following the collision, both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a wooded and hilly terrain located about 11 km from the airport, bursting into flames. All 40 occupants in both aircraft were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the collision was the consequence of a poor ATC surveillance, causing both aircraft to initiate an approach without ensuring that they each maintained a minimum separation in accordance with published procedures. This situation allowed the helicopter to cut off the approach path of the aircraft. The lack of radio communications between the three parties concerned remained a contributing factor.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2TP in Suordakh

Date & Time: Sep 16, 1981 at 1445 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-40523
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Ust-Kuyga - Suordakh
MSN:
1G83-26
YOM:
1967
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 cargo flight from Ust-Kuyga to Suordakh. On final approach, the crew decided to initiate a go-around while people were on runway. The single engine airplane made a long flare then landed on a soft ground, causing the landing gear to partially collapse. Both occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Wrong decisions and incorrect actions on part of the crew while trying to make a go-around.