Date & Time:
Jul 20, 1960 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-14
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-61696
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Leningrad – Cherepovets – Syktyvkar
MSN:
1470 010 35
YOM:
1957
Flight number:
SU613
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
19
Pax fatalities:
19
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
23
Aircraft flight hours:
5505
Circumstances:
The flight was performed at 3,000 meters under VFR mode above clouds. But while approaching Syktyvkar, weather conditions worsened with thunderstorm activity. The crew elected to modify his route to avoid this poor weather area when control was lost. The airplane entered a dive, lost its both wings and eventually crashed in flames in a dense wooded area located 87 km southwest of the Syktyvkar Airport. The wreckage was found 11 days later, on July 31. The airplane was completely destroyed and all 23 occupants were killed. The right wing and the right engine were found 80 meters from the main fuselage.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the loss of control was caused by the combination of strong atmospheric turbulences and vertical downdraft encountered while the aircraft was flying in a low pressure area. During the dive, excessive G loads caused the wings to detach and the aircraft became totally uncontrollable. The lack of assistance on part of the meteorology services was considered as a contributing factor as no one transmitted any information to the crew about the deterioration of the weather conditions and the presence of a thunderstorm on the flight path.
