Date & Time:
Oct 30, 1960 at 2158 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avia 14
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-52025
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Leningrad – Penza – Saratov
MSN:
051 704 114
YOM:
29
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
5
Aircraft flight hours:
4382
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a cargo flight from Leningrad to Saratov with an intermediate stop at Penza, carrying a load of refrigerator spare parts. After takeoff from Penza Airport, while climbing by night, the airplane banked left to 40° then stalled and crashed in flames in a field located 2 km from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all five crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the loss of control during initial climb was caused by an excessive accumulation of ice on both engines and propeller blades. Due to a poor flight preparation and a wrong interpretation of the weather conditions, the captain decided to takeoff in freezing rain. The assumption that all speed indicators, altimeters and variometers were unserviceable at the time of the accident was not ruled out. Also, both engines did not run at impact.
