Crash of an Ilyushin II-18V in Leningrad: 109 killed
Date & Time:
Apr 27, 1974 at 1807 LT
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-75559
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Leningrad - Zaporozhie - Krasnodar
MSN:
186 0077 03
YOM:
1966
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
102
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
109
Aircraft flight hours:
18358
Aircraft flight cycles:
7501
Circumstances:
Less than three minutes after takeoff from Leningrad-Pulkovo Airport, while in initial climb, the crew informed ATC about the failure of the engine n°4, declared an emergency and was cleared to return. About three minutes later, the engine n°4 caught fire and exploded. On final, the airplane went out of control, nosed down by an angle of 60° and crashed in a huge explosion in an open field located 2,480 meters short of runway. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and most of the debris were found 242 meters to the right of the extended centerline. None of the 109 occupants survived the crash.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the third stage of the high pressure turbine disintegrated two minutes and 53 seconds after takeoff. The engine then exploded three minutes later and some debris impacted the right aileron that was jammed in a down position while the left aileron was in a up position. This asymmetric situation contributed to the loss of control on short final.
