Date & Time:
Jul 10, 1937 at 1047 LT
Type of aircraft:
Putilov Stal-3
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1232
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Moscow – Yelets – Voronezh – Astrakhan
MSN:
232
YOM:
1936
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
489
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Moscow on a flight to Astrakhan with intermediate stops in Yelets and Voronezh, carrying three passengers, two crew members and a load of 319 kg of mail. About 15 minutes after takeoff from Yelets Airport, while cruising at an altitude of 660 metres, the engine started to fail. The captain reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing in a rye field when the airplane impacted an embankment, lost its undercarriage and crashed. All five occupants were injured, the mechanic seriously. He died the next day from his injuries.
Probable cause:
The engine failure resulted from the destruction of the connecting rods on cylinders n°2 and 6 due to the fact that the fuel used had a too low octane rate and that the oil was not compliant.
