Date & Time:
Oct 11, 1984 at 0539 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev TU-154
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-85243
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Krasnodar – Omsk – Novosibirsk
MSN:
77A243
YOM:
1977
Flight number:
SU3352
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
170
Pax fatalities:
169
Other fatalities:
4
Total fatalities:
178
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Krasnodar, the crew started the approach to Omsk Airport in a reduced visibility due to the night and rain falls. The aircraft landed at a speed of 270 km/h and about one second later, the captain noticed the presence of vehicles on the runway. He initiated a turn to the right when the left wing struck the vehicles. Upon impact, all three vehicles were destroyed and the four people on board were killed instantly. Out of control, the airplane turned to the left, veered off runway and came to rest upside down, broken in two, bursting into flames. Four crew members and one passenger survived while all 174 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the person in charge of the runway maintenance allowed a team of three vehicles to enter the runway for maintenance and then fell asleep. Thus, he failed to inform ATC about the presence of ground vehicles on the runway and the Air Traffic Controller based in the Airport Tower was unable to see the vehicles due to poor visibility caused by night and rain falls. As ATC was not aware of the presence of ground vehicles, he was unable to inform the crew prior to landing. Also, it was reported that the vehicles dispatched on the runway were not equipped with rotating flashing beacons and radios that would allow their personnel to listen the tower frequency.
