Date & Time:
Apr 14, 1973 at 0815 LT
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-35577
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Osinovka – Almaty
MSN:
1G115-28
YOM:
1970
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
1870
Circumstances:
While on a positioning flight from Osinovka-Andreyevka to Almaty for crop-spraying operations for the sovkhoz (state farm) 'Andreyevski' with 2 mechanics and 2 local guides on board, the captain decided not to circumvent the Chubundy (Shybyndy) mountain ridge but to make a straight-in flight. Few minutes later, he encountered below-minima weather conditions and decided to return to Andreyevka but this was too late. Shortly later, while completing a turn in clouds at an altitude of 1,200 meters, the single engine airplane collided with the summit of a ridge located about 15 km northeast of Andreyevka Airport and crashed. Injured, the copilot walked down the mountain to find help. The captain was killed while all five other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain caused by wrong in-flight decisions on part of the captain.
