Date & Time:
Nov 22, 1975
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-24
Operator:
Registration:
LZ-ANA
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Sofia - Varna
MSN:
67302708
YOM:
1966
Country:
Bulgaria
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
42
Pax fatalities:
2
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While parked on apron at Sofia-Vrazhdebna Airport, the airplane was deiced and the snow was removed before the crew was cleared to taxi to runway 10 for takeoff. However, the runway was closed for snow removal. When this was done, the crew was cleared for takeoff and just after liftoff from runway 10, the airplane encountered difficulties to gain height, stalled and crashed on a bank of the Iskar River located by the airport. The copilot was killed and two passengers drowned. All other occupants were rescued, some of them were injured.
Probable cause:
The hold over time (HOT) between the deicing time and the takeoff time was too long and a significant amount of snow accumulated on the fuselage, wings and all critical surfaces. In such conditions, the aircraft was unable to take off. The crew failed to request a second deicing.
