Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines

Schedule:

Minsk – Moscow

MSN:

16394/33142

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

3163

Circumstances:

The aircraft suffered a landing mishap last December 4 when the right main gear partially collapsed on landing. Temporary repairs were made at Minsk and on December 30, the crew was instructed to position to Moscow for further maintenance. Shortly after takeoff from Minsk Airport, while climbing to a height of some 50 meters, the aircraft entered clouds, banked to the right, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located 2 km northwest of the airport. A crew member was injured while three others were killed.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. Any relation with the mishap that the aircraft suffered on December 4 could not be proven. The assumption that the pilot in command suffered a spatial disorientation could not be ruled out.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-12P in Valuevo: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1948 at 1525 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-12

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1731

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Schedule:

Khodynka – Lyubertsy – Tashkent

MSN:

8 301 29 08

YOM:

1948

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was parked at Khodynka and has to be transferred to Tbilisi by an Aeroflot crew from Georgia. Unfortunately, this crew arrived too late and another crew from the Uzbekistan Aeroflot Division took over the airplane for a transfer to Tashkent. After takeoff, the crew failed to announce the modification to ATC, cut the route and continued at an insufficient altitude when the aircraft collided with an Aeroflot Douglas TS-62 registered CCCP-L861. Carrying four passengers and four crew members, the TS-62 just took off from Moscow-Vnukovo Airport and was climbing out bound for Moscow-Bykovo Airport. Both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a wooded area located 6 km southeast of the airport, in Valuevo. Both aircraft were destroyed and all 12 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Wrong decision on part of the Ilyushin II-12' crew who decided to modify his route without prior permission from ATC.

Crash of a Douglas TS-62 in Valuevo: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1948 at 1525 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L861

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Moscow - Moscow

MSN:

12400

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was performing a positioning flight from Vnukovo Airport to Bykovo, carrying a crew of four and four passengers who were also pilots taking the opportunity of this flight to position to Bykovo. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the TS-62 (Douglas C-47A-10-DK) collided with an Aeroflot Ilyushin II-12P registered CCCP-L1731. Its crew was performing a flight from Moscow to Tashkent via Lyubertsy. Both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a wooded area located 6 km southeast of the airport, in Valuevo. Both aircraft were destroyed and all 12 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was reported that the Ilyushin II-12P was parked at Khodynka and has to be transferred to Tbilisi by an Aeroflot crew from Georgia. Unfortunately, this crew arrived too late and another crew from the Uzbekistan Aeroflot Division took over the airplane for a transfer to Tashkent. After takeoff, the crew failed to announce the modification to ATC, cut the route and continued at an insufficient altitude.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Srednekolymsk: 23 killed

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1948

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4463

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)

Schedule:

Zyrianka – Srednekolymsk

Location:

Srednekolymsk

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While approaching Srednekolymsk, weather conditions worsened and the radio contact with ATC was lost. The approach was abandoned and the pilot was forced to make a go around as he was unable to locate the airport. A second and a third attempt to land were abandoned as well. While completing a last turn during a fourth approach, the pilot lost control of the aircraft that stalled and crashed in the Kolyma River, about 400 meters short of the runway threshold. Three passengers were seriously injured while 23 other occupants were killed. It appears that the aircraft' speed was too low during the last turn.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Leninabad: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 18, 1948 at 0708 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4275

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Stalinabad – Leninabad – Tashkent

MSN:

184 229 09

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2948

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a cargo flight from Stalinabad to Tashkent with an intermediate stop in Leninabad, carrying a load of tires, construction goods, ropes and tuns. After the aircraft overflew Jizzhak, the captain started the descent through thick clouds. At this moment, the crew was unaware that the aircraft was off course due to strong winds when, at an altitude of 700 meters, the aircraft hit the west slope of a mountain located in the Mogol-Tau Mountain Range, about 31 km from Leninabad. Rescuers arrived on site a day later and were able to evacuate a wounded crew member while four other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the accident was caused by the combination of the following factors:
- Rough indiscipline of the captain who violated several rules and requirements,
- Poor organization of aircraft flight planning and mismanagement of aircraft traffic,
- Wrong decision taken regarding the weather forecast,
- Lack of assistance and guidance during the flight, regarding the deterioration of the weather along the route,
- Poor control of flight operations,
- Lack of professionalism on part of the Stalinabad AMSC that transmitted to the crew undue weather, wrong weather forecasting with conditions worse than predicted,
- Poor organization and operational control to ensure safety,
- Failure to provide the appropriate Leninabad radio equipment for the aircraft,
- Lack of leadership on part of the RDS in Stalinabad and Tashkent,
- Lack of accurate instructions on part of the ADS in Leninabad.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Samurskaya: 18 killed

Date & Time: Oct 25, 1948 at 1401 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4500

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Krasnodar – Karachayevsk – Sukhumi – Tbilisi

MSN:

184 296 08

YOM:

1948

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

616

Circumstances:

The aircraft landed in Karachayevsk Airport at 0905LT and the crew took a break for lunch and drank vodka with some airport's officials. The aircraft took off from Karachayevsk at 1230LT bound for Sukhumi, overloaded by 366 kilos. After takeoff, the crew modified his route and continued to the northwest instead of southwest. While flying over mountainous terrain, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds, strong winds and icing. Few minutes later, the aircraft was caught by downdraft, hit two trees on the slope of a mountain, lost its both wings and eventually crashed into a precipice 80 meters down. As the airplane failed to arrive in Sukhumi, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 18 occupants was found. On August 8, 1949, walkers found the wreckage of the aircraft at the altitude of 1,610 meters in a wooded area. Nobody survived.

Probable cause:

If was determined that the the pilots drank alcohol prior to departure and that the aircraft was overloaded. En route, the crew took the decision to change his route several times, violating existing regulations. Poor operational planning, inadequate flight management and lack of assistance on part of the Georgian ATC were considered as contributory factors.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-12 near Yevlakh: 10 killed

Date & Time: Oct 12, 1948 at 1300 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-12

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1450

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Tashkent – Baku – Tbilisi – Sochi

MSN:

8 30 25 17

YOM:

1948

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

274

Circumstances:

About one hour after departure from Baku-Bina Airport, while flying some 250 km north of the capital city, weather conditions worsened. Due to poor reception of local beacon transmission, the captain decided to return to Baku but was unable to locate his position with certainty. While cruising at an altitude of 3,000 meters in poor visibility, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the 10 occupants was found.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew did not prepare the flight correctly and failed to obtain suitable information about weather conditions enroute.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2T near Parshino: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 12, 1948 at 0815 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4658

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Irkutsk – Kirensk – Bodaibo

MSN:

45 08

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a cargo flight from Irkutsk to Bodaibo with an intermediate stop in Kirensk, carrying a load of apples and mail for a total of 2,222 kilos. One hour and 13 minutes after his departure from Kirensk, the crew encountered technical problems with both engines that lost power. The captain elected to make an emergency landing when the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in flames in a wooded area located 25 km from Parshino. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all four crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that both engines failed because the carburetor was not properly supplied by fuel that was contaminated by water (up to 16%) that partially iced in the tanks and the fuel supply systems. Investigations revealed that the fuel supply, transportation and storage procedures at Kirensk were not followed properly by the authorities. Fuel tanks were stored in full sun and were not waterproof, allowing condensation to form and contaminate the fuel that have not been drained.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Balkhash: 15 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1948 at 1250 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4304

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type: