Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The aircraft departed Amurzet at 1414LT on a flight to Khabarovsk with an intermediate stop in Birobidzhan, carrying 11 passengers and a crew of two. Weather conditions were considered as marginal with a visibility reduced to 5 km due to rain showers. The crew decided to take off despite the VHF radio communication system was unserviceable. About half an hour into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of 400 meters, weather conditions deteriorated with limited visibility due to mixed rain and snow. The aircraft struck trees and crashed in a wooded area located 15 km north of Bidzhan, bursting into flames. The copilot and four passengers were critically injured while eight other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of the followings:
- The crew decided to take off while the visibility was below minimums,
- The crew decided to take off while the VHF radio communication was unserviceable,
- The crew failed to inform ATC about the deterioration of the weather conditions,
- When weather conditions deteriorated, the crew failed to return and continued the flight into such conditions,
- The crew modified its route without ATC clearance.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Cēsis

Date & Time: Apr 29, 1983

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-62643

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Spraying (Agricultural)

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

1G178-35

YOM:

1978

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

while flying at low height, the single engine airplane struck power cables and crashed in a field. Occupant fate unknown.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 in Tsaghkahovit

Date & Time: Apr 29, 1983

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-33093

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

1140 473 11

YOM:

1960

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On approach, the single engine airplane lost height and crashed in a field, bursting into flames. Occupant fate unknown.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 near Leninakan: 21 killed

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1983 at 1809 LT

Type of aircraft:

Yakovlev Yak-40

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-87291

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Volgograd - Nalcik - Leninakan

MSN:

9 32 06 28

YOM:

1973

Flight number:

SU047E

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Nalcik, the crew started the descent to Leninabad Airport when he encountered limited visibility due to low clouds. At an altitude of 3,300 meters and following several navigational errors, the aircraft deviated from the prescribed flight path by 29 km. On his side, the ATC controller was unable to determine the exact position of the aircraft and cleared the crew to descent to 900 meters. While descending at an altitude of 2,523 meters at a speed of 330 km/h, the three engine airplane struck the slope of Mt Shishtepe (2,836 meters high) located about 40 km from Leninabad Airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 21 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The airplane deviated from the prescribed flight path following several navigational errors on part of the flying crew. Poor ATC assistance was considered as a contributing factors as he cleared the crew to descent to the altitude of 900 meters despite he was unaware of the exact position of the aircraft. Poor flight preparation, poor approach planning and lack of crew coordination were also considered as contributing factors.

Crash of an Antonov AN-26 in Minsk

Date & Time: Apr 12, 1983

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-26

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-26686

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Riga – Minsk

MSN:

88 06

YOM:

1979

Location:

Minsk-Loshitsa (Minsk-1)

City of Minsk

Country:

Belarus

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On a cargo flight from Riga to Minsk-Loshitsa (Minsk-1) with the center of gravity being out of the envelope (too far aft), the aircraft came in too fast and too high on final approach. The captain failed to initiate a go-around and the aircraft touched down on all three wheels with a positive acceleration of 5.1 g and at a speed of 250 km/h. It bounced three times and suffered irreparable structural damages. All 5 crew members were unhurt.

Probable cause:

Wrong approach configuration. Poor flight preparation and supervision.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 near Antonovka: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1983 at 1743 LT

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-03483

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Spraying (Agricultural)

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

MSN:

1G48-15

YOM:

1964

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The spraying rotations all along the day were completed in difficult conditions as the captain and the (illegal) passenger were intoxicated. The captain was also angry and fighting the copilot. After several low passes, while at an altitude of 200 meters, the airplane entered a left turn then banked to an angle of 60° and crashed on the top of a hill (718 meters high). The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The captain was intoxicated at the time of the accident and had a blood alcohol level of 3.3 ‰. The pilot had not consumed alcohol but he was passive and was unable to face a critical situation.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 near Tatarsk: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1983 at 1244 LT

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-71290

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Delivery

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Mielec – Lvov – Samara – Omsk – Novosibirsk

MSN:

1G201-18

YOM:

1983

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was just coming out from the PZL-Mielec factory in Mielec, Poland. Three crew members and one passenger were in charge to deliver the plane to Novosibirsk via Lvov, Samara and Omsk. The crew departed Omsk at noon on the last leg to Novosibirsk and continued in good weather conditions bound to the east. While approaching Tatarsk, weather conditions deteriorated with clouds down to 150 meters above the ground. The pilot-in-command reduced his altitude in an attempt to maintain visual contact with the ground. At an altitude of 199 meters, the single engine airplane struck with its both right wings a relay antenna (202 meters high) located about 5 km northeast of Tatarsk. Out of control, the aircraft lost height and crashed 280 meters further in a snow covered field, bursting into flames. All four occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The crew failed to prepare the flight properly and took the decision to continue to fly under VFR mode into low clouds with a below-minima visibility. The people in charge to transmit to the crew weather bulletin failed to ensure that information were accurate. A lack of discipline and wrong in-flight decisions on part of the crew were considered as contributing factors.

Crash of a Let L-410M in Poti: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1983 at 1518 LT

Type of aircraft:

Let L-410

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-67190

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Poti - Sukhumi

MSN:

78 11 19

YOM:

1978

Flight number:

SU070G

Location:

Poti

Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti

Country:

Georgia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

3206

Aircraft flight cycles:

6096

Circumstances:

14 seconds after liftoff from runway 10 at Poti Airport, while climbing to a height of 60 meters at a speed of 195 km/h, both engines lost 60% of power. While the power on the left engine increased to 94,5% 11 seconds later, the power on the right engine dropped to zero. The crew elected to feather the right propeller but this was not possible. The airplane lost height, started a descent and slightly turned to the right when, at a speed of 130 km/h, it struck 20 meters high trees and crashed in a wooded area located 450 meters past the runway end. Two pilots and four passengers were killed while 12 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the malfunction of the right engine was the consequence of a short-term failure of the rotor speed regulator, which forced the crew to shut down the engine and to feather the propeller. For unknown reasons, the propeller could not be feathered, causing drag that reduced the aircraft's speed and necessitating an emergency landing.