Date & Time:
Aug 24, 1963 at 1053 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avia 14
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-61617
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Tbilisi – Kutaisi – Sukhumi – Krasnodar
MSN:
014 602 107
YOM:
1957
Flight number:
SU663
Country:
Georgia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
27
Pax fatalities:
27
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
32
Aircraft flight hours:
11682
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Kutaisi, the crew decided to continue under VFR rules despite a limited visibility due to heavy rain falls. In such conditions, the crew did not realize he deviated about 13 km from the prescribed departure route and was cruising at an insufficient altitude. Eight minutes after its departure, while cruising at an altitude of 900 meters, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located 7 km north of Gereshkori, about 32 km northwest of Kutaisi. The wreckage was found a day later and all 32 occupants were killed, among them three stowaways.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew decided to continue under VFR mode in IMC conditions. At the time of the accident, weather and visibility were poor. The lack of ATC assistance and inaccurate weather information transmitted to the crew were considered as contributing factors.
