Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Landing (descent or approach)

MSN:

282

YOM:

1971

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Suffered an accident somewhere in Panama in October 1971. Exact date unknown. There were no casualties.

Crash of an Antonov AN-10A in Chișinău

Date & Time: Oct 12, 1971

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-10

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-11137

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

8 4 004 01

YOM:

1958

Location:

Chișinău

Chișinău City District

Country:

Moldova

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed upon landing at Chișinău Airport. There were no casualties.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 in Tyubelyakh: 6 killed

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1971 at 1316 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-47678

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Moma - Ust-Nera

MSN:

1159 473 12

YOM:

1961

Location:

Tyubelyakh

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

8979

Circumstances:

The crew encountered low clouds and poor weather conditions while following the valley of the river Tikhon-Yuryakh. The decision to return was taken too late so the aircraft was unable to clear the obstacles. It struck tree tops and crashed at a height of 1,080 meters into a mountain slope located near the Moma Pass (1,444 meters high) and 19 km northeast of Chumpu-Kytyl (Tyubelyakh). The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post impact fire. A pilot and a passenger were injured while the second pilot and five passengers were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of:
- Wrong decisions taken by the crew,
- Poor flight preparation,
- Insufficient or erroneous information about enroute weather conditions.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-104B in Moscow: 25 killed

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1971 at 2017 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev TU-104

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-42490

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Moscow - Simferopol

MSN:

0 2 16 03

YOM:

1960

Flight number:

SU773

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Moscow-Vnukovo Airport, while climbing by night, the airplane entered a right turn, lost height, banked right 90° then struck power cables and crashed in a field located 10 km south of the airport. The airplane was totally destroyed by impact forces and all 25 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that an explosive device composed by 400 to 800 grams of trinitrotoluene (TNT) exploded approximately 7 to 15 seconds after rotation. The bomb was apparently placed in a hand baggage placed on the cabin floor, maybe under the seat number 45. The detonation ruptured the cabin floor, the left root and the control cables were cut and inoperative. The airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and lost several pieces at an altitude of 200 meters before striking the ground. Despite extensive investigations that will end in 1973, the Soviet authorities wont be able to identify the author of this act of sabotage.

Crash of a Vickers 951 Vanguard in Aarsele: 63 killed

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1971 at 1110 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Vanguard

Operator:

Registration:

G-APEC

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

London - Salzburg

MSN:

706

YOM:

1959

Flight number:

BE706

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

9260

Captain / Total hours on type:

1927.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

3386

Copilot / Total hours on type:

764

Aircraft flight hours:

21683

Aircraft flight cycles:

17261

Circumstances:

En route from London-Heathrow to Salzburg at an altitude 19,000 feet, the rear pressure bulkhead ruptured. An explosive decompression of the fuselage occurred, causing serious interior damage and severe distortion of upper tailplane skin attachments. The tail surfaces subsequently detached, causing the airplane to enter a steep dive. The Vanguard spiraled down out of control and crashed in a field next to a highway. During the investigation corrosion was found in the lower part of the rear pressure bulkhead underneath plating that was bonded to the structure. The bond was completely delaminated in this area and the bulkhead material literally eaten away. Fluid contamination, perhaps from the lavatory, was thought to have been the root cause for the corrosion.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by the rupture of the rear pressure bulkhead, which led to the separation both tailplanes in flight and caused the aircraft to dive into the ground.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-414A in Sena Madureira: 32 killed

Date & Time: Sep 28, 1971 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

PP-CBV

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Sena Madureira - Rio Branco

MSN:

4977

YOM:

1943

Flight number:

SC332

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Sena Madureira Airport, while climbing, the pilot declared an emergency and elected to return following an engine failure. He completed a circuit at low altitude and while completing a turn to the right, the airplane struck trees and crashed in flames in a dense wooded area located few km from the airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 32 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure during initial climb.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 in Toko

Date & Time: Sep 25, 1971

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-98281

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

1101 473 07

YOM:

1958

Location:

Toko

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The engine failed in flight and the aircraft crash landed near Tokko. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 near Polotsk: 14 killed

Date & Time: Sep 22, 1971 at 1635 LT

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-96221

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Landing (descent or approach)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Polotsk – Chelyabinsk

MSN:

1G72-05

YOM:

1966

Flight number:

SU697

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

6056

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane departed Polotsk Airport at 1623LT on a flight to Chelyabinsk, carrying 12 passengers (mining workers) and a crew of two. 12 minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 300 meters in good weather conditions, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a steppe located 35 km north of Polotsk. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 14 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that none of the 12 passengers were attached and some of them were standing in the rear compartment of the aircraft, prohibited to passengers, the access door to be locked. Various analysis revealed that all passengers were intoxicated at the time of the accident and that they were probably moving in the cabin without the consent of the crew. This situation likely modified the CofG, causing the airplane to become uncontrollable.

Crash of a Beechcraft 65-B80 Queen Air in Manizales: 7 killed

Date & Time: Sep 19, 1971

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft 80 Queen Air

Operator:

Registration:

HK-1024

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: