Date & Time:
Apr 21, 1948 at 1620 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1215
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Takhtamygda - Takhtamygda
MSN:
16978/34239
YOM:
1945
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
1621
Circumstances:
An Aeroflot LI-2 registered CCCP-L4279 made an emergency landing near Tynda on April 20. A day later, a Deputy from the Amur Region decided to conduct a mission to help and forced the crew to takeoff despite the fact that weather conditions were below minima. The aircraft left Takhtamygda Airport at 1550LT. About twenty minutes later, the right engine failed. The crew was forced to feather the propeller and the captain decided to return to his departure point. Shortly later, while losing altitude, the aircraft hit tree tops with its propeller while the left elevator hit a telephone pole. The aircraft stalled and crashed. Three crew members, among them the captain, were killed while three other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
Failure of the right engine in flight. The crew was forced to conduct the mission by a local Deputy despite the fact that weather conditions were below minima at the time of the accident.
