Date & Time:
Aug 30, 1972 at 0935 LT
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-32520
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Spraying (Agricultural)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Perevitskiy Torzhok - Perevitskiy Torzhok
MSN:
1G103-47
YOM:
1969
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
3150
Aircraft flight cycles:
15276
Circumstances:
During a crop-spraying flight for the sovkhoz (state farm) of 'Vrachevo Gorki' located in the Lukhovitsy district of the Moscow region, the crew encountered thick smoke coming from burning peatlands. The crew suffered a spatial orientation and the airplane nosed down by a 45 to 60° angle before crashing in flames on a bank of the Oka River, near Perevitskiy Torzhok, some 4 km from the airstrip. The aircraft was destroyed by fire and both pilots were killed. At the time of the accident, horizontal visibility did not exceed 50 meters.
Probable cause:
Loss of control after the crew suffered a spatial disorientation in reduced visibility.
