Date & Time:
Dec 31, 1970 at 1637 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-18
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-75773
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Leningrad - Yerevan
MSN:
181 0036 03
YOM:
1961
Flight number:
SU3012
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
78
Pax fatalities:
1
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
6
Aircraft flight hours:
13760
Aircraft flight cycles:
6733
Circumstances:
The takeoff from Leningrad-Shosseynaya Airport was performed in low clouds and snow falls. After liftoff at a speed of 250 km/h, the airplane climbed to a height of 30-50 meters when it adopted an excessive nose-up attitude and banked left and right. In a high angle of attack, it continued on a distance of 5,300 meters when it lost height, causing the base of the tail to struck the ground. Out of control, it crashed at a speed of 200 km/h in a snow covered field, rolled for about 210 meters and came to rest 290 meters to the right of the extended centerline. Five crew members and a policeman, Major by the Interior Ministry of the Republic of Armenia were killed while 26 other occupants were injured, some of them seriously. 54 other occupants escaped uninjured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Due to poor flight preparation and lack of coordination, the crew failed to follow the pre-takeoff checklist and failed to deploy the flaps prior to departure, according to the published procedures. It appears that the crew precipitated the takeoff manoeuvre, which was considered as a contributing factor.
