Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 on Mt Salatau: 8 killed

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1973 at 1021 LT
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-01794
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Khasavyurt – Botlikh – Makhachkala
MSN:
1G107-41
YOM:
1968
Location:
Mt Salatau
Republic of Dagestan
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Aircraft flight hours:
2646
Aircraft flight cycles:
4464
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane departed Khasavyurt Airport at 0958LT on flight SU116 to Makhachkala with an intermediate stop in Botlikh. About 10 minutes later, while flying at an altitude of 1,300 - 1,500 meters, the airplane flew into clouds. Despite a limited visibility, the crew decided to continue, increased altitude and was able to distinguish the Ashu River, an affluent of the Sulak River. Nevertheless, few minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 2,400 meters and at a speed of 160 - 170 km/h, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Salatau (2,713 meters high) located 43 km southeast of Khasavyurt. Six passengers were injured while eight other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain. The crew decided to continue under VFR mode in clouds and failed to return to Khasavyurt Airport.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-104A in Nicosia

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1973 at 0639 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev TU-104
Operator:
Registration:
OK-MDE
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Baghdad - Damascus - Nicosia - Prague
MSN:
8 66 012 02
YOM:
1958
Flight number:
OK531
Location:
Nicosia
Nicosia
Country:
Cyprus
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
62
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After touchdown on runway 14 at Nicosia Airport, the airplane deviated to the right then veered off runway and came to rest in flames about 150 metes from the runway end. All 70 occupants escaped, nine of them were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The failure of the pilot to stop the aircraft within the nominally adequate runway distance available and the subsequent entry of the aircraft into a right turn at high speed, as a result of which the aircraft was subjected to lateral centrifugal forces and side skidded off the runway.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Nerkha

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1973
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-28954
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1G09-14
YOM:
1961
Location:
Nerkha
Irkutsk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route in the Irkutsk region, while flying at a too low altitude, the aircraft crashed near Nerkha, south of Nizhneudinsk. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Lockheed L-188A Electra in Bogotá: 42 killed

Date & Time: Aug 27, 1973 at 0745 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-188 Electra
Operator:
Registration:
HK-777
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bogotá – Cartagena – Barranquilla – San Andres
MSN:
1115
YOM:
1959
Location:
Bogotá-El Dorado
Bogotá Capital District
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
36
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
42
Circumstances:
After takeoff from runway 12 at Bogotá-El Dorado Airport, while in initial climb in limited visibility, the four engine airplane struck the slope of Mt El Cable located 11 km southeast of the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 42 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the crew failed to follow the departure procedures and that initial climb was completed with an erroneous track. The lack of visibility due to fog was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Beechcraft 65-B80 Queen Air in Dagua: 11 killed

Date & Time: Aug 26, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft 80 Queen Air
Operator:
Aerovias Regionales
Registration:
HK-1093
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Tumaco - Cali
MSN:
LD-292
YOM:
1966
Location:
Dagua
Valle del Cauca
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
En route from Tumaco to Cali, the twin engine airplane struck the slope of Mt Las Cruces located in the region of Dagua, some 28 km northwest of Cali. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all 11 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-228F in Yopal: 16 killed

Date & Time: Aug 22, 1973 at 1140 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
HK-111
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Villavicencio - Yopal
MSN:
4105
YOM:
1941
Location:
Yopal
Casanare
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
16
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Villavicencio-La Vanguardia Airport at 1113LT on a 45 minutes flight to Yopal, carrying 14 passengers and a crew of three. On approach to Yopal, the pilots encountered poor visibility with fog when the airplane crashed on the slope of a hill (480 meters high) located few km from the airport. A passenger survived while 16 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew was approaching Yopal Airport under VFR mode in IMC conditions.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo in Yavi

Date & Time: Aug 22, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Piper PA-31-310 Navajo
Operator:
Transportes Aéreos Tropicales - TAT Colombia
Registration:
HK-1591
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Barranquilla - Yavi
MSN:
31-379
YOM:
1969
Location:
Yavi
Tolima
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After landing at Yavi Airport, the twin engine airplane went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest in a ditch. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle I in Barquisimeto

Date & Time: Aug 21, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle
Operator:
Registration:
YV-C-AVI
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
20
YOM:
1960
Location:
Barquisimeto
Lara
Country:
Venezuela
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing, the right main gear partially collapsed and punctured the right wing. The airplane came to rest and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24B in Baku: 56 killed

Date & Time: Aug 18, 1973 at 1851 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-24
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-46435
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Baku - Shevshenko
MSN:
87304305
YOM:
1968
Flight number:
A-13
Location:
Baku-Heydar Aliyev (Bina)
Absheron
Country:
Azerbaijan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
60
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
56
Aircraft flight hours:
7374
Aircraft flight cycles:
5502
Circumstances:
Following a normal takeoff roll, the crew started the rotation at a speed of 220 km/h. Five second after liftoff, while climbing to a height of 10 meters, the left engine failed. The left propeller was automatically feathered and the crew continued to climb. 34 seconds after takeoff, the airplane was at an altitude of 30 meters at a speed of 230 km/h when the crew retracted the flaps. Six seconds later, at a height of 40 meters and a speed of 227 km/h, the pilot-in-command initiated a left turn when the airplane drifted to the left. It lost speed then stalled and crashed in flames on a pipeline owned by the Neftyanyye Kamni Oil Company. Two crew members and 54 passengers were killed while eight other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
It was determined that several blades on the first stage of the turbine have disintegrated due to a reduction of their mechanical properties due to a previous overheating, probably beyond 1,150°. Nevertheless, it was not possible to establish the exact cause of the overheating of the blades and to define the period when this occurred.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2V in Bysyttakh

Date & Time: Aug 16, 1973
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-41373
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1G66-08
YOM:
1966
Location:
Bysyttakh River
Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
For unknown reason, the pilot was flying too low when the airplane hit the left bank of the Kotui River and crashed near the mouth of the Bysyttakh River. There were no casualties.
Photo: http://radikal.ru/lfp/i021.radikal.ru/1209/e4/dbe65f6ccfa6.jpg/htm
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