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Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Mestia

Date & Time: May 18, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L2988
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kutaisi - Mestia
MSN:
5777
YOM:
1932
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an error on part of the pilot, the airplane crashed upon landing at Mestia Airport. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and the pilot was uninjured.
Probable cause:
Pilot error.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-196A in Moscow

Date & Time: Apr 25, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
URSS-C
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
2047
YOM:
1938
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew attempted to take off in heavy snow falls. Shortly after liftoff, while climbing, the aircraft stalled and crashed. All three occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 off Khoe: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 12, 1941 at 1409 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1679
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinski – Khabarovsk
YOM:
1935
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
563
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane departed Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinski on a flight to Khabarovsk, carrying two passengers, one pilot and a load of 75 kg of mail. About 14 minutes into the flight, the pilot entered an area of fog. As the visibility was poor, he reduced his altitude and descended relatively fast when he lost control of the airplane that crashed on the icy Tatar Strait, about 3 km off the village of Khoe. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The pilot made the decision to continue the flight in difficult weather conditions, which probably exacerbated the nervous tension and the illness from which he suffered. It is likely that he lost consciousness as he began the steep descent, due to the fact that he was suffering from chronic sclerotic inflammation of the meninges, which could lead to epileptic seizures with loss of consciousness. He had lost consciousness in 1940 at Okha Airport.

Crash of a Tupolev PS-35 in Khotmyzhsk

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1941
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L2482
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moscow - Kharkiv
MSN:
1/0
YOM:
1937
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Moscow to Kharkiv, the crew encountered severe icing conditions and decided to make an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed in a field located near the village of Khotmyzhsk, about 50 km west of Belgorod. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Icing.

Crash of a Polikarpov PR-5 near Shala Pristan: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 1, 1941 at 0955 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3311
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Petrozavodsk – Pudozh
MSN:
200
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
1390
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane departed Petrozavodsk Airport at 0920LT on a cargo flight to Pudozh, carrying one pilot and a load of 553 kg of various goods. Prior to the flight, the pilot was instructed by the chief pilot that in case of weather deterioration, he should fly around Lake Onega. Weather conditions worsened en route and the visibility was too low when the airplane crashed in a snow covered field located about 9 km south of Shala Pristan. The wreckage was found at the end of the afternoon by another pilot flying from Pudozh to Petrozavodsk. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.
Probable cause:
The accident is the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain after the pilot failed to follow the instruction from the chief pilot regarding weather deterioration. It was also reported that the pilot was relatively inexperienced in flying in poor weather conditions.

Crash of a Putilov Stal-3 in Verkhnyaya Kolybelka: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1941 at 1430 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1243
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Voronezh - Moscow
MSN:
243
YOM:
1936
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane departed Voronezh Airport at 1355LT on a schedule service to Moscow, carrying four passengers (three adults and one child), two crew members and 104 kg of cargo. About half an hour later, it crashed in unknown circumstances in a pasture located 1,500 metres west of the village of Verkhnyaya Kolybelka. Both crew members were killed and all four passengers were injured, one seriously.

Crash of a Tupolev G-2 near Bekobod: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1941 at 1050 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1496
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Tashkent – Fergana
MSN:
22 114
YOM:
1937
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Aircraft flight hours:
3407
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a cargo flight from Tashkent to Fergana, carrying a load of three tons of jam, clothes, leather goods and wooden boot-block for a total weight of 3,339 kilos. While cruising at an altitude between 200 and 250 metres, the airplane encountered heavy winds and turbulence, descended to a height of 90 metres then became uncontrollable and crashed 6 km north of Bekobod. The aircraft was destroyed and all six crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the wind was gusting to 72 km/h at the time of the accident and the crew was aware of this. Prior to departure, during the flight preparation, the fleet captain confirmed that wind gusting to 72 km/h was ok for this kind of aircraft but told the captain and his crew to fly above the minimum altitude of 1,500 metres. For unknown reasons, the crew decided to continue the flight at an insufficient altitude of 200-250 metres. Gusty winds hit the front of the airplane that went out of control and crashed.

Crash of a Polikarpov PR-5 in Petropavlovsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1941 at 1615 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3387
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Omsk – Petropavlovsk
MSN:
281
YOM:
1940
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Omsk Airport at 1445LT on a cargo flight to Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan, carrying one pilot and a load of 346 kg of various goods. On final approach to Petropavlovsk Airport, the airplane descended too low to the right (about 30-40 metres) and the pilot initiated a turn to the left when he lost control of the airplane that crashed 950 metres from the 'T'. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was estimated to be above 10 km with light snow.
Probable cause:
The accident occurred during a steep turn caused by poor piloting techniques.

Crash of a Tupolev ANT-9 in Tula

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L118
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moscow - Baku
MSN:
114
YOM:
1931
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While on a ferry flight from Moscow to Tula, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and decided to divert to Tula Airport. After touchdown, the three engine airplane veered off runway, lost its left engine and came to rest. The crew was uninjured.

Crash of a Tupolev G-1 near Alga

Date & Time: Feb 18, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Ashkhabad – Tashkent – Shalkar – Aktyoubinsk – Moscow
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot departed Ashkhabad on a ferry flight to Moscow. He made a stop in Tashkent to pick up a passenger without prior permission. At Shalkar Airport, he was informed about the poor weather conditions en route to Aktyubinsk but decided to takeoff, again, without authorization. About an hour and 45 minutes into the flight, while flying in clouds, he lost control of the airplane that crashed in a prairie located 3 km from Alga Station, about 45 km southeast from Aktyubinsk. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were seriously injured.
Probable cause:
The decision of the pilot to takeoff without permission, knowing that weather conditions en route were unfavorable. It was also reported that the airplane was not equipped with any navigational instruments or any equipment that could allow the pilot to flight under IMC conditions.