Date & Time:
Jan 9, 1949 at 0650 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4261
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Sverdlovsk – Kazan – Moscow
MSN:
184 22 401
YOM:
28
Flight number:
SU038
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
3394
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a cargo flight from Sverdlovsk to Moscow via Kazan with a load consisting of cable reels for a total of 1,085 kilos, a lot of syringes, agricultural machinery and postal mail. Weather conditions were marginal at the time of the accident with ceiling at 200 meters, visibility around 6 km in mist. After takeoff, while in initial climb at a height of 20 meters, the aircraft banked left to an angle of 25-30°. The left wing hit the ground and the aircraft crashed in a snow covered field 424 meters further on. The copilot was seriously injured while three other crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Both engines lost power after rotation as the carburetors were frosted and the air intakes were blocked by ice. Severe icing conditions prevailed at the time of the accident but these conditions were underestimated by the local meteorologists. Therefore, the information transmitted to the crew did not reflect the truth.
