Date & Time:
Mar 23, 1977 at 1330 LT
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-92841
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Timsher – Ust-Kulom – Syktyvkar
MSN:
1G52-33
YOM:
1964
Flight number:
SU384
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
1
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
12589
Aircraft flight cycles:
20460
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane departed Ust-Kulom Airport at 1228LT bound for Syktyvkar with seven passengers and a crew of two on board, accompanied by a second Aeroflot AN-2 (CCCP-98382) that left at the same time. En route, weather conditions worsened and both crew lost visual contact with each other. Approaching Syktyvkar, the crew was informed about the deterioration of the weather with a limited visibility of 1,500 - 2,500 meters in snow. Few radios communications issues occurred and while descending at a height of 150 meters and making a right turn, the pilot saw the second AN-2 and made a sharp turn to avoid collision when control was lost. The airplane crashed on the icy Vychegda River, about 13 km from the Syktyvkar main Station. While the aircraft was destroyed, all nine occupants were injured. About four days later, one of the passengers died from his injuries.
Probable cause:
The main cause of the accident was the dangerous convergence of the aircraft due to the extremely irresponsible attitude of the management and dispatching personnel of the Syktyvkar ATC service to fulfill published procedures related to the organization and the control of the aircraft in deteriorated weather conditions.
