Ukraine | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The single engine airplane departed Kiev on a flight to Odessa, carrying one passenger and two crew members. About an hour and 27 minutes into the flight, while in cruising altitude, the aircraft was approaching an area of storm when the right wing suffered a structural failure and detached. The airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a pasture. All three occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The cause of the crash was an insufficient structural strength of the upper core of the fuselage frame n°3, which caused the frame to collapse under the conditions of flight in a pre-thunderstorm front and the subsequent collapse of the entire aircraft.
The following factors were identified:
- Insufficient strength of some elements of the airplane according to the conditions set by the strength standards of 1937,
- Failure of the design bureau of Plant n°81, which allowed the frame n°3 of the fuselage to have insufficient strength,
- Failure of the weather station at Kiev Airport, which did not indicate thunderstorm phenomena in the weather forecast for the Kiev - Odessa route, as it was according to the weather service sector in reality.

Crash of a Polikarpov SP in Tsaryshanka: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 2, 1938 at 1500 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov Po-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L2056

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Tsaryshanka - Tsaryshanka

MSN:

8109

YOM:

1936

Location:

Tsaryshanka

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

Country:

Ukraine

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

866

Aircraft flight cycles:

1555

Circumstances:

Two Polikarpov SP were dispatched from Dnepropetrovsk to Tsaryshanka to perform 3-5 minutes demo flight to local farmers. Two local police officers boarded the airplane and after takeoff, the pilot climbed to an altitude of 350-400 metres when he initiated hazardous manoeuvres. Following several sharp turns, he lost control of the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed in an open field. A passenger was killed and both other occupants were injured. The pilot died two days later from injuries sustained.

Probable cause:

Loss of control after the pilot attempted hazardous manoeuvres with passengers on board, in violation of the prescribed procedures.

Crash of a Putilov Stal-3 in Brovary: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 29, 1937

Type of aircraft:

Putilov Stal-3

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1228

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Kiev - Kiev

MSN:

228

YOM:

1935

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1215

Circumstances:

Following a flight from Dniepropetrovsk to Kyiv, the pilot reported technical problems with various instruments such as the horizon and the speed indicator. Several repairs were made and the pilot decided to perform a local test flight. Four engineers and two employees of the airport boarded the plane. After takeoff, at a height of about 100 metres, the pilot completed a series of five turns when the airplane rolled to the right, descended to the ground and crashed near Brovary. Four passengers were killed and three other occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of the following factors:
- The airplane' speed was estimated to be 170 km/h prior to the series of turns then dropped to 110 km/h during the last turn, causing a stall,
- The pilot failed to pay attention to the instruments and probably lost his bearings.

Crash of a Kalinin K-5 in Kharkiv: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 16, 1937

Type of aircraft:

Kalinin K-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L561

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Moscow – Orel – Kharkiv

MSN:

YOM:

1930

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2291

Circumstances:

The aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Moscow to Kharkiv with an intermediate stop in Orel, carrying two crew members and a load consisting of 52 metal plates for a total weight of 499 kg. On approach to Kharkiv Airport, the visibility was poor due to fog. The crew continued the descent when, at a distance of four km west from the airfield, the airplane collided with the 60 metres high chimney of a brickyard. The airplane rolled to the right and descended to the ground, bursting into flames. The female copilot was killed and the captain was seriously injured. He died an hour later from injuries sustained.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of the combination of the following factors:
- The crew decided to continue the approach while the visibility was poor due to fog,
- Negligence on part of the employees of the Kharkov meteorological service which resulted in their inability to issue timely bulletins concerning the current weather conditions at destination.

Crash of a Chyetverikov ARK-3-2M25 off Sebastopol: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1937

Type of aircraft:

Chyetverikov ARK-3

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Sebastopol - Sebastopol

Location:

Sebastopol

Autonomous Republic of Crimea

Country:

Ukraine

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a local test flight on this second prototype. While taking off from the bay of Sebastopol, the float plane suffered severe vibrations. The mechanic suggested to stop the test process but the captain, apparently by pride, decided to initiate a second takeoff procedure when the airplane stalled, broke in two and sank. The mechanic was injured and the pilot Patsynko was killed.

Probable cause:

The float plane crashed upon takeoff after the pilot attempted to rotate at an insufficient speed.

Crash of a Tupolev ANT-9 in Zaporozhie: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 27, 1937 at 0850 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-9 (PS-9)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L176

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Simferopol – Zaporozhie – Moscow

MSN:

177

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2268

Circumstances:

A NKPO PL-5 registered CCCP-I93 departed Zaporozhie Airport on a flight to Moscow with two passengers and two crew members. Few minutes after takeoff, for unknown reasons, the crew decided to return tp Zaporozhie. In the mean time, an Aeroflot Tupolev ANT-9 was ready for a flight to Moscow, the second leg of a schedule service from Simferopol to Moscow, carrying nine passengers and two crew members. For unknown reasons, the crew of the PL-5 decided to land without permission as well as the crew of the ANT-9 started the takeoff procedure on the same runway without permission. Both airplanes collided on the runway and burst into flames. Three passengers on board the ANT-9 were injured while 8 others occupants were killed. Few hours later, one of the survivor died from his injuries. On board the PL-5, two people were killed and two others were injured.

Probable cause:

The collision was the consequence of a series of omissions, errors and violations on part of both crews who failed to follow the published procedures, starting a landing manoeuvre and a take off manoeuvre without any clearance. Poor flight supervision and organisation by the airport authority was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Polikarpov SP near Mariupol: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 22, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov Po-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L2030

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

8083

YOM:

1936

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

203

Circumstances:

The pilot was engaged in a special mission to deliver spare parts for combine harvester to local farmers based in Ukraine. Several landings were made in the areas of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia then the pilot landed in an open field owned by the State Farm of 'Azov' located about 60 km from Mariupol. The following night, the pilot took off with full tanks, two passengers and a load of spare parts. After a course of 60 metres on rugged terrain, the airplane lifted off. At a height of about 50-60 metres, the pilot made a left turn to pass over the house where he slept the preceding night when the airplane rolled to the left, struck the house and crashed, bursting into flames. The pilot and a passenger were killed while the second passenger was seriously injured.

Probable cause:

The following contributing factors were identified:
- The decision of the pilot to land and takeoff from an unsuitable (rugged) terrain;
- The decision of the pilot to make a sharp turn at low height;
- There were two unauthorized passengers on board;
- The fuel tanks were full.

Crash of a Kalinin K-5 near Dnipropetrovsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 25, 1935 at 1213 LT

Type of aircraft:

Kalinin K-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L619

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kryvyi Rih – Dnipropetrovsk

MSN:

116

YOM:

1931

Location:

Dnipropetrovsk

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

Country:

Ukraine

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

447

Circumstances:

The crew completed a mail/cargo flight from Dnipropetrovsk to Kryvyi Rih in the morning. At 1035LT, the crew departed Kryvyi Rih on the return empty leg to Dnipropetrovsk. While approaching the destination, the crew encountered thick fog with very limited visibility. The pilot reduced his altitude, probably to maintain a visual contact with the ground, when the airplane impacted with its right wing the metallic pylon of a high tension line (160,000 volts). The airplane lost height and crashed. The mechanic was injured and the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of a collision with a metallic pylon while the pilot was flying at an unsafe altitude in bad visibility. It was determined that the crew departed both Dnipropetrovsk and Kryvyi Rih Airport without any weather bulletin. Also, they were cleared for takeoff without such information. The people in charge to transmit weather bulletin prior to departure failed to do so.

Crash of a Kalinin K-7 in Kharkiv: 15 killed

Date & Time: Nov 21, 1933

Type of aircraft:

Kalinin K-7

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Kharkiv - Kharkiv

MSN:

YOM:

1933

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight cycles:

Circumstances:

This first prototype was built last August 11, and successfully completed seven sorties. While performing a test flight over the area of the Kharkiv Airport with 20 engineers and pilots on board, the pilot-in-command lost control of the heavy bomber that crashed in a field. Fifteen occupants were killed and five others were injured. Aircraft was destroyed and the project was abandoned.

Probable cause:

It seems that the loss of control was caused by a structural failure on one of both tails but this was never confirmed. Ukrainian authorities did not rule out the possibility of an act of sabotage.