Date & Time:
Mar 16, 1961 at 1310 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev TU-104
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-42438
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Novosibirsk – Sverdlovsk – Leningrad
MSN:
9 2 08 05
YOM:
24
Flight number:
SU068
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
41
Pax fatalities:
3
Other fatalities:
2
Total fatalities:
7
Aircraft flight hours:
1600
Aircraft flight cycles:
789
Circumstances:
After takeoff from runway 27 at Sverdlovsk-Koltsovo Airport, while climbing to a height of 130-150 meters, the right engine failed. This caused severe vibrations and the crew was unable to read the instruments properly. Trying to manipulate the throttle, the flight engineer inadvertently shut down the left engine. Due to a loss of power and insufficient thrust, the airplane lost height and the captain elected to make an emergency landing in a frozen pond located nine km west of the airfield. The aircraft landed at high speed, collided with several obstacles and eventually came to rest, broken in three, after a course of 1,220 meters. Two crew members, three passengers and two people on the ground were killed. 31 occupants were injured and 15 were unhurt. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Due to fatigue cracks, a blade located on the second stage of the compressor failed during initial climb, causing the failure of the right engine and severe vibrations. The inadvertent shut down of the left engine was a contributing factor.
