Date & Time:
Dec 18, 1962 at 1243 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-84603
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Yakutsk – Olyokminsk
MSN:
4608
YOM:
23
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
11607
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing a cargo flight from Yakutsk to Olyokminsk, carrying a load of various goods such as 70 kg of mail, 494 kg of garlic, spare parts, a welding machine, a screen and radio equipment for a total weight of 1,476 kg. While descending to Olyokminsk, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and followed visually the wrong river Sinyaya instead of Lena. Doing so, the aircraft descended prematurely and its altitude was insufficient while passing the outer marker. The aircraft struck trees and crashed on the slope of a wooded hill (434 m high) located 25 km short of runway threshold. The wreckage was found a day later and all four crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Unable to determiner his exact position based on the ETA, the crew erroneously followed the Lena River. As a result of a premature descent, the aircraft collided with trees. ATC, unable to assist the flight by radar in marginal weather conditions, unreasonably gave permission to the crew to perform a straight-in approach, based only on the report of the crew.
