Date & Time:
Aug 6, 1955 at 1518 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-14
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L5057
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Stalingrad – Moscow-Vnukovo
MSN:
4 34 04 08
YOM:
1954
Flight number:
SU214
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
20
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
25
Aircraft flight hours:
824
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing a flight from Stalingrad to Moscow-Vnukovo, carrying a crew of five and 20 passengers, among them 10 citizens (women) from Norway who met antifascist people in Stalingrad and were flying back to Moscow. While cruising at an altitude of 2,200 meters in clouds, the crew informed ATC about the failure of the right engine and obtained the permission to divert to Voronezh Airport for an emergency landing. Shortly later, the right engine caught fire and while descending to an altitude of 900 meters, the right wing failed, causing the aircraft to dive into the ground and to crash about 4 km from the runway threshold. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 25 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the right engine was brand new and totalized 250 hours only. Despite this, the engine already suffered cracks and defaults. Investigations reported that a fuel leak occurred on the right engine enroute. Due to lack of oil, the engine overheated, caught fire and eventually exploded. The fire spread to its nacelle and then to the right wing that broke off few minutes later.
