Date & Time:
Feb 16, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Polikarpov PR-5
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3316
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Stalinabad - Khorugh
MSN:
203
YOM:
1939
Country:
Tajikistan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
4
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Stalinabad on a flight to Khorugh, carrying six passengers (four adults and two children) and one pilot. En route, weather conditions deteriorated and the visibility was poor. Despite the situation, the pilot decided to continue. Flying in clouds, the airplane struck a rock and crashed in deep snow at an altitude of 3,900 metres near the Odudi Pass. All seven occupants survived the accident with minor injuries but without any food and in extreme conditions with very low outside temperature. Twelve days after the accident, the pilot and three passengers tried to find help and left the crash site. During this trip, a passenger died of cold. On May 12, an expedition was sent to the crash site and found a woman and her two children aged one and nine died of cold and hunger.
Probable cause:
The following factors were determined:
- The weather briefing transmitted to the pilot prior to the flight did not reflect the truth and reported good weather conditions all along the route from Stalinabad to Khorugh,
- The pilot decided to continue the flight despite the lack of visibility due to poor weather conditions and failed to return to his departure point.
- The weather briefing transmitted to the pilot prior to the flight did not reflect the truth and reported good weather conditions all along the route from Stalinabad to Khorugh,
- The pilot decided to continue the flight despite the lack of visibility due to poor weather conditions and failed to return to his departure point.
