Date & Time:
Feb 28, 1973 at 1859 LT
Type of aircraft:
Yakovlev Yak-40
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-87602
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Semipalatinsk-Ust-Kamenogorsk
MSN:
9120118
YOM:
1971
Flight number:
SU167X
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
29
Pax fatalities:
29
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
32
Aircraft flight hours:
1798
Aircraft flight cycles:
1814
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Semipalatinsk Airport, while climbing to a height of 100 meters, the airplane lots height then struck the ground in a relative flat attitude and crashed in a huge explosion in a snow covered field located 1,457 meters past the runway end. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 32 occupants were killed, among them 11 female members of the Kyzylorda Basketball Team accompanied by their coach and one judge.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. Eyewitnesses among them the air traffic controller working in the tower saw a huge flash in the sky prior to the accident. Various analysis did not find any trace of explosives.
