Date & Time:
Sep 22, 1961 at 1912 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-16154
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Yakutsk – Oymyakon – Zyrianka
MSN:
36 05
YOM:
1947
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
2
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing a cargo flight from Yakutsk to Zyrianka with an intermediate stop at Oymyakon, carrying two passengers, a crew of four and a load of 2,253 kilos of potatoes. While cruising at an altitude of 1,600 meters in clouds, the airplane went out of control, entered a dive and crashed in a wooded area located 95 km west of Oymyakon. The wreckage was found two days later in an isolated area. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew failed to follow the procedures in flight and failed to pay attention to the fuel selector that was switched to an empty tank, causing both engines to stop. There was fuel remaining in other tanks but the crew failed to switch the fuel selector in due time. Due to fuel exhaustion, both engines failed and the airplane went out of control while flying in autopilot in clouds.
