Date & Time:
May 2, 1974 at 1410 LT
Type of aircraft:
Yakovlev Yak-40
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-87398
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Lipetsk – Rostov-on-Don – Mineralnye Vody
MSN:
9 41 10 33
YOM:
1974
Flight number:
SU1255
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
34
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
124
Aircraft flight cycles:
111
Circumstances:
After a roll of 1,040 meters on the wet runway 03, the captain decided to abandon the takeoff procedure but the remaining distance was 40 meters only. Unable to stop on a so short distance, the airplane overran and collided with an embankment 185 meters further, hit a hammock, broke up and came to rest in a ravine. The flight mechanic was killed while 18 other occupants were injured. 19 others were unhurt. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The crew decided to takeoff from an inadequate runway for such type of aircraft (too short runway). Poor flight preparation as the V1 & V2 speed were not verified and properly calculated prior to takeoff. Other factors were considered as contributing such as aircraft weight, wet runway and weather conditions.
