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Crash of an Ilyushin II-12 in Buguruslan: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 9, 1948 at 1103 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-12
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1427
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Buguruslan - Buguruslan
MSN:
30258
YOM:
10
Location:
Buguruslan
Orenburg oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
245
Circumstances:
The crew, consisting of one instructor and three pilots, was completing a local training flight in Buguruslan-Baymakovo Airport. A first training program was completed at an altitude of 1,000 meters and the instructor ordered the crew to return to the airport. On final approach, during the last segment, the instructor ordered the crew to go around and increased power on both engines. During the initial climb, while at a height of 150 meters, the instructor shut down the right engine and feathered its propeller. At the same time, the aircraft banked left up to 30°, stalled, dove into the ground and crashed in a huge explosion. 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 the aircraft stalled during initial climb due to the combination of flaps deployed at an angle of 17° and the power reduction on the right engine. Unfortunately, the distance between the aircraft and the ground was insufficient to a expect any recovery. The instructor decided to make a single engine climb out in violation of the NPP-47 training program and instructions published for IL-12. Wrong interpretation of the situation on part of the rest of the crew also contributed to the loss of control. The following factors were considered as contributory:
- Absence of appropriate measures concerning pilots management and training,
- Lack of control and demands in relation to the flight crews.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Moscow: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 4, 1948 at 0352 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4498
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Moscow – Kharkiv – Zaporozhie – Simferopol
MSN:
44 09
YOM:
0
Flight number:
SU253
Location:
Moscow-Bykovo
Moscow oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Aircraft flight hours:
113
Circumstances:
Takeoff from Moscow-Bykovo Airport was completed by night. Shortly after liftoff, during the initial climb, the captain ordered to switch off the landing light and to raise the undercarriage. The aircraft encountered problems to gain height and banked left, causing the left engine and its propeller to hit the ground. After a course of some 150 meters, the aircraft hit a telephone pole and wires and then crashed in flames in a garden. Five passengers and the radio operator were killed while 8 other people were injured, some of them seriously. The remaining then occupants were unhurt. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the pilot in command suffered a spatial disorientation shortly after liftoff when the landing light was switched off. Due to the absence of ground visual reference and the poor visibility caused by night, the pilot lost his orientation and the control of the aircraft. It was also determined that the crew was tired at the time of the accident because he accumulated more than 11 flying hours per day during the last three days prior to the accident. Also, the lack of assistance on part of the copilot was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-12 in Novosibirsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1948 at 0015 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-12
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1465
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Khabarovsk – Chita – Irkutsk – Novosibirsk – Omsk – Sverdlovsk – Moscow-Vnukovo
MSN:
83 024 21
YOM:
7
Flight number:
SU006
Location:
Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Just after liftoff, while climbing to a height of 2-3 meters, the aircraft stalled. As the undercarriage have been raised, the aircraft hit the ground on its belly, causing the propeller of the right engine to be sheared off. A blade went through the fuselage and penetrated into the cabin, killing a passenger. The aircraft slid for several hundred yards, lost its left wing and left engine before coming to rest 491 meters past the runway end. Five passengers were injured and the aircraft was written off.
Probable cause:
The accident was attributed to a lack of coordination within the flight crew. It was determined that the flight engineer mistakenly reduced the engine power shortly after liftoff, causing the speed to drop and the aircraft to stall. The captain's lack of training was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of a Naval Aircraft Factory PBN-1 Nomad in Turukhansk: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 31, 1948 at 1740 LT
Type of aircraft:
Naval Aircraft Factory PBN-1 Nomad
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L789
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Krasnoyarsk – Podkamennaya Tunguska – Turukhansk – Valek
MSN:
02879
YOM:
1944
Location:
Turukhansk
Krasnoyarsk Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
523
Circumstances:
On approach to Turukhansk, the wind was gusting to 43 km/h. Waves up to 50 cm were spotted in the Enisey River. On landing, the seaplane hit three successive waves and plunged into the water. The cockpit separated from the rest of the fuselage, the aircraft came to rest and sank. Three passengers, two women and one child, were killed while 17 other occupants were rescued, five of them seriously injured. The aircraft was a total loss.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the crew. It was reported that the captain was not properly trained on this type of aircraft. Also, the training program was not appropriate.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-45-DK near Magadan: 8 killed

Date & Time: May 22, 1948 at 1840 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1073
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky – Magadan
MSN:
17054/34321
YOM:
8
Location:
Magadan
Magadan oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Aircraft flight hours:
1691
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky-Yelizovo Airport, the crew started the descent to Magadan in poor weather conditions. During the final approach, at a distance of 13 km from the runway threshold, the captain was unable to locate the runway and decided to descend to 500 meters, the decision altitude. Unable to establish a visual contact with the runway, he decided to abandon the approach, started a go around and diverted to the Seymchan Airport located some 350 km north of Magadan. Few minutes later, while cruising in poor visibility, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Marchekanskaya (707 meters high). A passenger was seriously injured while eight other occupants were killed. It appears the aircraft hit the mountain 70 meters below the summit.
Probable cause:
The accident was the result of a controlled flight into terrain in poor visibility due to low ceiling. It was reported that, at the time of the accident, the person in charge to transmit weather information to the crew and based at the airport of Magadan was intoxicated.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2T in Mamakan: 28 killed

Date & Time: Apr 24, 1948 at 1440 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4460
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Kirensk – Bodaibo
MSN:
37 04
YOM:
31
Location:
Bodaibo
Irkutsk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
25
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
28
Aircraft flight hours:
310
Circumstances:
Approaching Bodaibo, the crew lost his orientation due to low visibility caused by poor weather conditions (snow falls). The captain decided to reduce his altitude and followed the Vitim River to join Bodaibo Airport at a height of 100 meters. The aircraft hit the water surface and crashed in a huge explosion into the river off Mamakan, about 13 km southwest of Bodaibo. A passenger was injured and rescued while all 28 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident occurred in flight conditions that were below published minima. It was reported that the weather prediction were not efficient and did not reflect the truth. The pilot took the wrong decision to continue and to descent in such poor weather conditions.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2T in Khabarovsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 23, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4437
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Khabarovsk – Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
MSN:
33 05
YOM:
30
Location:
Khabarovsk
Khabarovsk Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
514
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft veered off the center line to the right as the rudder trim has not been set to neutral position before takeoff. The crew failed to abort the takeoff procedure and about 30 seconds after liftoff, during initial climb, the right wing hit a telegraph line and collided with the pole of a high voltage power line. Out of control, the aircraft stalled and crashed. The mechanic was killed while 13 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The crew failed to prepare the flight properly and did not follow the pre departure checklist. In such conditions, they did not realize that the rudder trim was not set in neutral position, causing the aircraft to veer off the runway center line during the takeoff roll.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-45-DK near Severo-Vostochnyy: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1948 at 1620 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1215
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Takhtamygda - Takhtamygda
MSN:
16978/34239
YOM:
1945
Location:
Tynda
Amur oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
1621
Circumstances:
An Aeroflot LI-2 registered CCCP-L4279 made an emergency landing near Tynda on April 20. A day later, a Deputy from the Amur Region decided to conduct a mission to help and forced the crew to takeoff despite the fact that weather conditions were below minima. The aircraft left Takhtamygda Airport at 1550LT. About twenty minutes later, the right engine failed. The crew was forced to feather the propeller and the captain decided to return to his departure point. Shortly later, while losing altitude, the aircraft hit tree tops with its propeller while the left elevator hit a telephone pole. The aircraft stalled and crashed. Three crew members, among them the captain, were killed while three other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
Failure of the right engine in flight. The crew was forced to conduct the mission by a local Deputy despite the fact that weather conditions were below minima at the time of the accident.

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

Date & Time: Dec 30, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4214
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Chelyabinsk – Kazan – Moscow
MSN:
18421005
YOM:
0
Flight number:
SU020
Location:
Zlatoust
Chelyabinsk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Aircraft flight hours:
2316
Circumstances:
The crew left Chelyabinsk Airport at 1215LT, established contact with RDS Koltsovo and was instructed to proceed to the altitude of 1,500 meters, although this was lower than the minimum safe altitude of 2,100 meters on the route Chelyabinsk - Kazan. An hour later, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with a cloud base at 200 meters, heavy snow falls and an estimated horizontal visibility less than 4 km. While cruising at the altitude of 1,145 meters, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Taganay located about 20 km north of Zlatoust. The wreckage was found in an isolated and mountainous area a day later, the aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all six occupants have been killed. The aircraft was carrying a load of various goods consisting of grinding wheels, boxes and a furnace-type PET-8 for a total of 2,298 kilos.
Probable cause:
The crew was authorized to fly at an altitude of 1,500 meters while the minimum prescribed altitude was fixed at 2,100 meters. It was reported that weather datas compiled prior to the flight were incomplete in that the person in charge of preparing the file for the crew remained asleep. Despite this situation, the crew decided to leave the airport of Chelyabinsk while they had no specific information about the weather and although they have not been cleared to land in Kazan Airport.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-12P in Krasnoyarsk: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1947 at 0930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-12
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1343
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Krasnoyarsk – Omsk
MSN:
30 049
YOM:
1947
Flight number:
SU006
Location:
Krasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Aircraft flight hours:
166
Circumstances:
Fifteen minutes after takeoff from Krasnoyarsk-Severniy Airport, the oil pressure on the left engine dropped. The crew shut down the engine, feathered the propeller and decided to return to Krasnoyarsk for a safe landing. On final approach, the speed was too high and the crew encountered problems to lower the undercarriage so the captain elected to make a go around. Few minutes later, during a second attempt to land, while at a height of some 50 meters, the aircraft stalled and crashed few hundred yards short of the runway threshold. Eighteen occupants were injured while seven others, among them four crew members, were killed.
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