Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines

Survivors:

Site:

Lebap Province (Lebap welaýaty)

Schedule:

Chardzhou - Urganch

MSN:

164

YOM:

1933

Location:

Chardzhou

Country:

Turkmenistan

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2087

Circumstances:

About five minutes after takeoff from Chardzhou Airport, while climbing to a height of about 500 metres, the right engine failed. The pilot decided to return to his departure point, made a turn to the left and reduced his altitude when the airplane stalled and crashed near the airport, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 11 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of the combination of the following factors:
- A fuel connection to the carburetor of the right engine moved after takeoff due to strong vibrations, preventing the engine from being properly fueled,
- Numerous repairs had been made to this engine over the past two days,
- The pilot took the decision to return to his departure point when there was a serviceable airfield located 800-1,000 metres from his position,
- The crew failed to shut off the fuel feed to the right engine, which led to the engine fire and explosion.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Drachevka

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1937

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1538

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kharkiv – Moscow

MSN:

8064

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Kharkiv on a mail flight to Moscow, carrying one pilot and a load of 400 kg of mail. About 50 minutes into the flight, the engine started to vibrate. A smell of fuel spread in the cabin and the engine caught fire. The pilot bailed out and abandoned the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in an open field. The pilot was burned to his legs and the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the engine caught fire after a fuel line ruptured in flight, causing the fuel to spill and to ignite while in contact with high temperature components. The line in question had already been repaired but the hose that had been placed to seal the line failed because it was corroded by the fuel.

Crash of a Polikarpov U-2 in Irkutsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1937 at 1400 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov Po-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-T190

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Irkutsk - Irkustk

MSN:

9819

YOM:

1937

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

124

Circumstances:

The pilot departed Irkutsk on a local solo training flight. Another similar airplane registered CCCP-T118 was also completing a local training flight at the same time. Both pilots were assigned to a training zone. For unknown reasons, the pilot of the CCCP-T118 changed his heading and departed his training zone when the collision occurred. Both aircraft entered a dive and crashed near the airport. Both pilots were killed.

Probable cause:

Lack of discipline on the part of the pilot of CCCP-T118 who changed his heading and flew out of his designated area, violating instructions and published procedures.

Crash of a Polikarpov U-2 in Irkutsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1937 at 1400 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov Po-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-T118

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Irkutsk - Irkustk

MSN:

8680

YOM:

1936

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

255

Circumstances:

The pilot departed Irkutsk on a local solo training flight. Another similar airplane registered CCCP-T190 was also completing a local training flight at the same time. Both pilots were assigned to a training zone. For unknown reasons, the pilot of the CCCP-T118 changed his heading and departed his training zone when the collision occurred. Both aircraft entered a dive and crashed near the airport. Both pilots were killed.

Probable cause:

Lack of discipline on the part of the pilot of CCCP-T118 who changed his heading and flew out of his designated area, violating instructions and published procedures.

Crash of a Douglas DC-2-152 in Bistriţa: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 6, 1937

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-2

Operator:

Registration:

URSS-M25

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Bucharest – Moscow

MSN:

1413

YOM:

1935

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Bucharest to Moscow, the aircraft suffered an in-flight fire that quickly spread in the cabin. Control was lost and the airplane crashed in an open field located near Bistriţa, Transylvania. All six occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It is believed that a passenger lit a cigarette in the rear toilets where fuel vapors accumulated, causing a sudden and violent fire.

Crash of a Putilov Stal-3 in Nizhne Kazache: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1937 at 1047 LT

Type of aircraft:

Putilov Stal-3

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1232

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Moscow – Yelets – Voronezh – Astrakhan

MSN:

232

YOM:

1936

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

489

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Moscow on a flight to Astrakhan with intermediate stops in Yelets and Voronezh, carrying three passengers, two crew members and a load of 319 kg of mail. About 15 minutes after takeoff from Yelets Airport, while cruising at an altitude of 660 metres, the engine started to fail. The captain reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing in a rye field when the airplane impacted an embankment, lost its undercarriage and crashed. All five occupants were injured, the mechanic seriously. He died the next day from his injuries.

Probable cause:

The engine failure resulted from the destruction of the connecting rods on cylinders n°2 and 6 due to the fact that the fuel used had a too low octane rate and that the oil was not compliant.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Rostov-on-Don: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1937

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-Sh630

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Rostov-on-Don - Rostov-on-Don

MSN:

5410

YOM:

1932

Location:

Rostov-on-Don-Olginskaya

Rostov oblast

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed Rostov-on-Don-Olginskaya Aerodrome on a local training flight. While cruising at an altitude of 800 metres, the pilot initiated aerobatics when he lost control of the airplane that entered a dive and crashed in a field. Both pilots were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the accident was the consequence of the following factors:
- The pilot was completing aerobatics manoeuvres at an unsafe altitude,
- The airplane entered a dive at an excessive speed,
- The pilot was not sufficiently trained to initiated such manoeuvres,
- Poor piloting techniques,
- Lack of discipline.

Crash of a Tupolev ANT-9 in Zaporozhie: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 27, 1937 at 0850 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-9 (PS-9)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L176

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Simferopol – Zaporozhie – Moscow

MSN:

177

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2268

Circumstances:

A NKPO PL-5 registered CCCP-I93 departed Zaporozhie Airport on a flight to Moscow with two passengers and two crew members. Few minutes after takeoff, for unknown reasons, the crew decided to return tp Zaporozhie. In the mean time, an Aeroflot Tupolev ANT-9 was ready for a flight to Moscow, the second leg of a schedule service from Simferopol to Moscow, carrying nine passengers and two crew members. For unknown reasons, the crew of the PL-5 decided to land without permission as well as the crew of the ANT-9 started the takeoff procedure on the same runway without permission. Both airplanes collided on the runway and burst into flames. Three passengers on board the ANT-9 were injured while 8 others occupants were killed. Few hours later, one of the survivor died from his injuries. On board the PL-5, two people were killed and two others were injured.

Probable cause:

The collision was the consequence of a series of omissions, errors and violations on part of both crews who failed to follow the published procedures, starting a landing manoeuvre and a take off manoeuvre without any clearance. Poor flight supervision and organisation by the airport authority was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Alkakhatki: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 27, 1937

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-Sh938

Flight Phase:

Flight Type: