Date & Time:
May 16, 1940 at 1755 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41)
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-T3518
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Stalingrad – Moscou
MSN:
11/214
YOM:
1938
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
168
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Stalingrad at 1647LT on a mail flight to Moscow, carrying three crew members and a load of 113 kg of mail. After takeoff, the airplane entered clouds and continued his course to the northwest. After flying a distance of about 350 km, while cruising at an altitude of 4,000 metres in clouds, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a field at a speed of 750-800 km/h. All three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Due to the high degree of destruction, investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. Nevertheless, it is believed that the loss of control was probably the consequence of icing while cruising at high altitude in clouds, causing a malfunction of the instruments.
