Geographical / Geophysical / Scientific

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-98282

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)

MSN:

1101 473 09

YOM:

Location:

Aldan

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1896

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a geophysical survey flight in the west part of Aldan, Yakutia. At the end of the mission, the crew was returning to the east and while flying face to the sun at a height of 1,046 meters, the single engine aircraft struck tree tops and crashed in flames in a dense wooded area located about 145 km west of Aldan. The captain and the flight engineer were killed instantly. The flight operator and the navigator were injured and walked away to find help. After four km walk, the navigator died from his injuries and his body was found thirteen days later on July 18. The flight operator eventually find help and was evacuated to a local hospital. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced to one km due to clouds.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew failed to take into consideration the high OAT ( 23°) and its effect on the rate of climb and the airplane's performances. Also, the following factors were considered as contributing:
- The crew failed to make any reconnaissance flight prior to the mission,
- Flying against the sun,
- Poor flight preparation.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Berdsk: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 24, 1959 at 1306 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-84595

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Novosibirsk - Novosibirsk

MSN:

184 275 08

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

9820

Circumstances:

The crew departed Novosibirsk-Severny Airport on a geophysical mission. En route, the right engine failed. Instead of feathering the propeller, the crew attempted few times to restart it but without success. Due to high drag, the airplane lost height and the speed decreased. The captain elected to make an emergency landing on a terrain located between the villages of Morozovo and Tavolgan. At a height of 330 meters, the different probes used for the mission were reinstalled in the cabin when the aircraft stalled and crashed in a wooded area. Five crew members were killed while three others were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the right engine failed because the fuel selector was connected to an empty fuel tank. Poor crew coordination and failure to follow the published procedures.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2T in Byelaya Noch: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 27, 1958 at 0400 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L5643

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Seymchan - Byelaya Noch - Seymchan

MSN:

1 54 473 11

YOM:

1955

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft left Seymchan at 0305LT on a geological survey flight in the region of the Byelaya Noch and Popovka Rivers. After few maneuvers at an altitude of 760 meters and at a speed of 250 km/h, the crew reduced his speed down to 80 km/h while approaching a mountain (40° slope). The airplane struck the ground with its tail wheel, causing the airplane to drift down and struck the mountain. The pilot made a turn to the left to bring the aircraft back in the direction of the descent to increase the speed but the airplane bounced three times. During the third impact, it came to rest in flames and both mechanic and navigator were ejected from the cockpit and killed instantly. All four occupants were slightly injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The accident resulted from poor decisions on the part of the pilot-in-command who, by negligence and lack of discipline, engaged the aircraft in hazardous maneuvers near a mountainous area.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 in Chukotka

Date & Time: Oct 3, 1957

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-N567

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

1 09 473 04

YOM:

1951

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a geophysical mission in the Chukotka okrug. While approaching a mountainous area, the airplane was too low and the pilot elected to gain height. In a steep angle, the aircraft stalled and crashed on a rocky terrain. All occupants were slightly injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Lack of experience on part of the pilot-in-command on that kind of mission. Also, the flight was not prepared according to procedures in place.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 on Mt Hor-Taiga: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1951 at 0950 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-G389

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

MSN:

1 13 473 05

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

144

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a geophysical survey flight in the Republic of Tuva on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Geology (Ministerstvo Geologii – MinGeo). While cruising in marginal weather conditions, the single engine aircraft hit with its right main gear the top of Mt Hor-Taiga (2,618 meters high) and crashed into a ravine. The flight engineer was killed while four other occupants were injured. Two of them walked away to find help and came back a day later to evacuate the other survivors. The navigator died from his injuries 16 hours later. The aircraft, brand new, was destroyed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the accident was caused by a poor flight preparation on part of the crew and the combination of the following factors:
- lack of crew training that failed to guarantee a sufficient flight safety level,
- lack of pilot experience in conducting geophysical survey flights,
- incomplet meteorological informations for mountainous terrain,
- absence of a flight manual and procedures regarding aerial photography missions,
- overconfidence on part of the navigator who had more than five years experience in this type of mission,
- deterioration of weather conditions during flight.

Crash of a Boeing B-17G-110-BO Flying Fortress in Niamey

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1950 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

F-BDAT

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Site:

MSN:

10282

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Douglas A-20 Havoc in Snezhnitsa: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1950

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-F341

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

During a flight in the Krasnoyarsk region, the crew encountered poor weather which had not been forecast (the mountains in the area of Minino and Snezhnitsa were covered by clouds from 300 to 600 meters). The aircraft crashed near Snezhnitsa, about 30 km west of Krasnoyarsk. All crew members were killed, among them A. A. Prilepko, pilot.

Crash of a Douglas A-20 Havoc near Turukhansk: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1950

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-F284

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

SNCAC NC.701/702 Martinet

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Podkamennaya Tunguska – Turukhansk

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Podkamennaya Tunguska to Turukhansk, after passing over Imbatsk, the aircraft disappeared and was lost without trace.

Crash of a SNCAC NC.701 Martinet in Saint-Etienne: 6 killed

Date & Time: Oct 25, 1947 at 1500 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

F-BAOQ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type: