Date & Time:
Jul 8, 1980 at 0039 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev TU-154
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-85355
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Almaty - Rostov-on-Don - Simferopol
MSN:
79A355
YOM:
1979
Flight number:
SU4225
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
10
Pax on board:
156
Pax fatalities:
156
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
166
Aircraft flight hours:
2438
Aircraft flight cycles:
1124
Circumstances:
Following a night takeoff from Almaty Airport, while climbing to a height of 120-150 meters, at a speed of 355 km/h, the airplane entered an area of very high outside temperatures (between +30 and +40° C.). High winds and downdrafts were encountered as well. The airplane nosed down then descended and struck the ground at a speed of 400 km/h some 3,996 meters from the end of the runway. It struck a farm, exploded and crashed. None of the 166 occupants survived the crash and nine people on the ground were injured, three seriously. Debris scattered on 840 meters long and 130 meters wide.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of the impact on the aircraft of an unpredictable, rarely encountered intense atmospheric turbulences area with downdrafts up to 14 meters per second (50 km/h) and a tailwind up to 20 meters per second (72 km/h). The following contributing factors were reported:
- The airplane was operated with a total weight close to the maximum allowable for those conditions,
- The high altitude of the airport,
- A high OAT.
- The airplane was operated with a total weight close to the maximum allowable for those conditions,
- The high altitude of the airport,
- A high OAT.
