Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines

Site:

Schedule:

Svetilnoye - Svetilnoye

MSN:

1G23-07

YOM:

1962

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1442

Circumstances:

On a crop-spraying flight from a very small airstrip at Svetilnoye (Borispol district of the Kiev region) when came in too high for landing. Crew failed to go around and forced the aircraft down. It lost speed, came down hard 9 metres before the landing T, nosed over and caught fire. The copilot was killed while both other occupants (among them a mechanic) were injured.

Probable cause:

Wrong approach configuration on part of the captain who adopted a too low approach speed that caused the aircraft to stall. At the time of the accident, the crew was tired due to an insufficient rest time and an excessive consumption of alcohol the night before the crash.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 in Dhzigda: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 9, 1964 at 2036 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-55541

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Dhzigda - Nelkan

MSN:

1 46 473 03

YOM:

1954

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

6738

Circumstances:

Due to technical issues with the on board heating system, the departure from Dhzigda was postponed after sunset. Despite the poor visibility, the pilot decided to takeoff around 2030LT and after liftoff, the airplane continued at low height and turn slightly to the right when control was lost. The airplane banked right to an angle of 25° then stalled and crashed at a speed of 220 km/h in a wooded area located 3,5 km from the airfield. The wreckage was found two days later and all three occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the pilot lost control of the aircraft after he suffered a spatial disorientation. It was also noted that he took the decision to takeoff by night with an aircraft which was not equipped for night flight. Both departure and destination airport were not suitable for night operations as well. It is possible that the pilot's capabilities were reduced due to the low temperature on board as the heating system was inoperative. Thus, the assumption that the artificial horizon was unserviceable due to low temperature was not ruled out.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Nukha: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 29, 1964 at 1323 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-54818

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

Schedule:

Byelokany – Zaqatala – Nukha – Baku

MSN:

184 352 02

YOM:

1950

Flight number:

A-4

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

12589

Circumstances:

The takeoff from Nukha Airport was started from a snow covered runway (compacted snow) with snow showers and cross winds. After a roll of 124 meters, the tail wheel lifted off when the left main gear struck an irregularity on the runway surface. Instead of abandoning the takeoff procedure, the captain continued and elected to takeoff quickly. He pulled the control column to rotate but the aircraft's speed was too low. The airplane took off but in stall conditions, it bounced several times then rolled down into a ravine and came to rest by the Gurdzhanachay River, some 900 meters past the runway threshold. The copilot was killed and 21 other occupants were injured, some of them seriously. The aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

The takeoff procedure was started from a contaminated runway (compacted snow) and with lateral winds up to 5 meters per second. When an emergency situation occurred (left main gear impact), the captain failed to abandon the takeoff manoeuvre and elected to rotate with an insufficient speed, which caused the aircraft to stall.

Crash of a Antonov AN-2 near Kenkiyak: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 25, 1964 at 1120 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-13651

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Landing (descent or approach)

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Baiganin - Kenkiyak - Aktyubinsk

MSN:

1 06 473 06

YOM:

1951

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

8320

Circumstances:

On the leg from Baiganin to Kenkiyak of a flight from Baiganin to Aktyubinsk, the crew encountered below-minima weather conditions (low clouds and fog), but failed to return to Baiganin and descended instead so that the aircraft crashed at a height of 273 metres into a hill (288 metres) located 18 km southwest of Kenkiyak. The copilot and two passengers were killed. The captain was seriously injured and all other passengers were slightly injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew decided to continue the descent to Kenkiyak in below-minima weather conditions instead of returning to Baiganin. Informations related to weather conditions and transmitted to the crew did not reflect the truth and were considered as too optimistic, which was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 in Batagay: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1964 at 2053 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-23740

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)

Schedule:

Batagay - Batagay

MSN:

1 37 473 08

YOM:

1954

Location:

Batagay

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

7175

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a local night training mission at Batagay Airport. Following three uneventful circuits, the crew started a fourth approach in a visibility reduced to 4 km due to snow showers. On final, the aircraft struck the slope of a snow hill located 2,200 meters short of runway and 205 meters to the right of its extended centerline. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed. Shortly before the accident, the visibility dropped from 7 to 4 km.

Probable cause:

Poor flight preparation on part of the flying crew who conducted the training mission without the appropriate flying charts. Lack of assistance on part of the ATC at Batagay Airport Tower who failed to transmit information about the deterioration of the weather conditions.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Parbig

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1963

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-16181

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

At liftoff, the airplane banked left, causing the left main gear to struck the ground three times on a distance of 190 meters. After passing the runway end, the aircraft rolled for 36 meters in a thick layer of snow then climbed steeply to an altitude of 280 meters before crashing onto several buildings located 470 meters farther. All four occupants were uninjured and there were no victims on the ground.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12B in Kirensk: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 7, 1963 at 2351 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-12

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-11347

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mirnyy – Kirensk – Irkutsk

MSN:

4 018 03

YOM:

1964

Flight number:

SU1076

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

379

Aircraft flight cycles:

188

Circumstances:

The crew was returning to Irkutsk following a cargo flight to Mirnyy. After takeoff from Kirensk Airport, while climbing to a height of some 500 meters, the airplane banked left, dove into the ground and crashed onto a wooden hut located 750 meters south of the airfield. The airplane was totally destroyed and all six crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that both left engine lost power shortly after takeoff and progressively failed during climb. The crew elected to feather the propeller but without success. The airplane then banked to the left and crashed at an angle of 70°. Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the engine failure but the assumption of an electrical short-circuit or an excessive accumulation of ice in the fuel filter was not ruled out.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Pevek

Date & Time: Dec 3, 1963 at 0733 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-16202

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Pevek – Nizhni Kresty – Zyrianka – Pevek

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

During the takeoff roll, at a speed of 130 km/h, the pilot-in-command started the rotation. The airplane climbed few meters but was unable to gain sufficient height and banked right to an angle of 20°. The crew tried to regain control but the airplane was totally unstable. The pilot decided to reduce the power on left engine then on right engine when the airplane crash landed past the runway end. All six crew members were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Poor flight preparation on part of the crew. Prior to departure, the airplane was refuelled but the fuel quantity was too high and the total weight of the aircraft at takeoff was 12,140 kilos, about 640 kilos above the MTOW. Also, it was determined that the cargo shifted in the cabin at liftoff and struck the lateral door, modifying the CofG by 22% and causing the aircraft to be uncontrollable.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Izobilnoye: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 15, 1963 at 1820 LT

Type of aircraft: