Date & Time:
Oct 31, 1961 at 1852 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-14
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-61712
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Yakutsk – Sangar
MSN:
4 34 05 03
YOM:
25
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:
7954
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Yakutsk to Sangar, carrying a load of 3,100 kilos of apples. Descending to Sangar Airport by night, while at an altitude of 600 meters, the pilot informed ground he located the airport. Twice, the airplane overflew the airfield without landing and the crew was apparently unable to determine his position with certainty. While flying at low height, the right wing struck trees and was sheared off. Out of control, the airplane crashed on the southwest slope of Mt Vataala Hayata located near the village of Smorodinny, about 8 km southeast of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all five crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
A general power failure occurred in Sangar few minutes before the arrival of the aircraft. Due to the night and the presence of fog, the visibility was less than 3 km and the pilots interpreted the lights of Smorodinny village as those of Sangar and thus started the approach prematurely, causing the aircraft to struck trees and to crash. For reasons unknown, the crew had not been informed by ATC that Sangar was plunged into darkness and bad weather at destination.
