Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kiev - Kiev

MSN:

9 66 014 01

YOM:

1959

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed Kiev-Borispol Airport for a local training mission. On final approach, while properly aligned, the airplane stalled and crashed few hundred metres short of runway. All four occupants were evacuated with minor injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The exact date of the mishap remains unknown, somewhere in 1976.

Probable cause:

The aircraft stalled on final approach after the crew inadvertently shut down both engines.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14RR near Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: 9 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1976 at 1656 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-14

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-61752

Flight Phase:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

MSN:

1470 012 47

YOM:

1957

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

6627

Aircraft flight cycles:

4927

Circumstances:

While approaching Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport by night on a survey flight from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the crew encountered limited visibility and marginal weather conditions. At an altitude of 850 metres, the twin engine airplane struck the slope of Mt Ostraya (910 metres high) located 12,5 km from the airport. The wreckage was found three days later. Two passengers (two hydrologists) were found alive while nine other occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

A succession of errors on part of the crew led the aircraft following a wrong track on approach to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport. The lack of visibility and poor weather conditions were considered as contributing factors.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24 in Kiev: 48 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1976 at 2130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-24

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-46722

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Kiev-Zhuliany-Igor Sikorsky

Schedule:

Chernivtsi - Kiev

MSN:

3 73 003 02

YOM:

1963

Flight number:

SU36N

Location:

Kiev oblast

Country:

Ukraine

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

27244

Aircraft flight cycles:

24754

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Chernivtsi, the crew started the descent to Kiev-Zhuliany Airport in limited visibility due to foggy conditions and snow. On final approach, at a distance of 2,500 metres from runway threshold, the airplane descended below the glideslope. The crew continued the approach and passed below the decision height while he did not have the runway in sight. The airplane struck the concrete base of the inner marker located 1,265 metres short of runway, rolled for 115 metres and crashed on a railway embankment. Seven occupants were seriously injured while 48 others were killed. At the time of the accident, the horizontal visibility was 600 metres and the vertical visibility was 50 metres.

Probable cause:

Wrong approach configuration on part of the flying crew who descended below the decision height without any visual contact with the runway in limited visibility until the aircraft contacted ground. Deficiencies and inadequacies by ATC at Kiev-Zhuliany Airport were considered as contributing factors as informations transmitted to the crew did not reflect the truth.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Ust-Kut: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1976 at 1940 LT

Type of aircraft:

Yakovlev Yak-40

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-88208

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Ust-Kut - Kirensk

MSN:

9 63 13 49

YOM:

1976

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

327

Aircraft flight cycles:

348

Circumstances:

The aircraft was engaged in a cargo flight from Ust-Kut to Kirensk, carrying a crew of three, two technicians of the company and two people in charge of the 1,200 kg of cargo. The crew failed to prepare the flight properly, expedited taxi and departure. The airplane took off from runway 30 at a speed of 155 km/h and with an angle of attack of 15°. After rotation, while in initial climb at a height of 120 metres at a speed of 210 km/h, the pilot raised the flaps when the airplane lost height and descended until it struck trees and crashed in flames 1,500 metres past the runway end. The copilot was seriously injured while all six other occupants were killed. Few hours later, the copilot died from his injuries.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew precipitated the takeoff procedure and failed to follow the pre-departure checklist. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Poor flight preparation,
- The cabin was not heated prior to departure,
- The left altimeter was erroneously set with a value 10 mm Hg higher than prescribed (wrong altimeter setting),
- Stabilizers were set at -6° instead of the required -3,6° angle,
- The rotation was completed prematurely,
- During initial climb, flaps were raised at a speed of 210-220 km/h, 20 km/h below the speed mentioned in the Flight Manual,
- Lack of visibility,
- Lack of ground visual references.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 near Zaporozhie: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1976 at 1308 LT

Type of aircraft:

Yakovlev Yak-40

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-87638

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Zaporozhie - Zaporozhie

MSN:

9 14 19 19

YOM:

1971

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

5762

Aircraft flight cycles:

6627

Circumstances:

The crew departed Zaporozhie Airport at 1257LT on a local training flight. About 11 minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 2,100 metres in marginal weather conditions, the crew informed ATC that he was losing height when the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a 25-30° nose down attitude and a 6° left bank in a field located 20 km northwest of Zaporozhie Airport and 1,400 metres from the Novogupalovka Station. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all five occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

Loss of control due to insufficient speed while the crew was practicing stabilizer trim change. The aircraft stalled due to poor piloting techniques and a probable wrong interpretation of the indicator airspeed value.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Armavir

Date & Time: Dec 7, 1976

Type of aircraft:

Yakovlev Yak-40

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-87756

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Dnipropetrovsk - Mineralnye Vody

MSN:

9 02 01 12

YOM:

1970

Flight number:

SU929N

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

11272

Captain / Total hours on type:

2257.00

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Dnepropetrovsk, the crew started the approach to Mineralnye Vody Airport at dusk. Unable to distinguish the runway, the captain decided to initiate a go-around. He elected to divert to Stavropol Airport but ATC informed him that the visibility was 300 metres only (although it was in fact 700 metres which would have allowed a safe landing). The captain attempted a second approach to Mineralnye Vody but was forced to initiate a second go-around manoeuvre. This time, he decided to divert to Armavir Airport when on final, all three engines failed simultaneously due to fuel exhaustion. The captain completed an emergency landing in an orchard located 1,745 metres short of runway threshold. All 29 occupants escaped unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Failure of all three engines on final approach to Armavir Airport due to fuel exhaustion. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Poor flight planning on part of the crew who departed Dnepropetrovsk Airport with an insufficient quantity of fuel (taking into consideration two missed approach and a divert to Armavir),
- Inaccurate information provided by ATC concerning the visibility at Stavropol Airport which was not 300 metres but 700 metres and would allow the crew to land safely.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-104B in Klushino: 73 killed

Date & Time: Nov 28, 1976 at 1856 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev TU-104

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-42471

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Moscow - Leningrad

MSN:

0 2 12 04

YOM:

1960

Flight number:

SU2415

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

22199

Aircraft flight cycles:

13336

Circumstances:

Following a normal takeoff roll on runway 24R, the airplane lifted off at a speed of 290 km/h with the copilot at controls. At this time, the visibility was poor due to the night and marginal weather conditions. Less than a minute later, while climbing, the airplane rolled to the right to an angle of 60-70° then the airspeed increased to 580 km/h. The captain took over control when the airplane initiated an uncontrolled descent and crashed at a speed of 620 km/h in a huge explosion near the village of Klushino, about 10 km northwest of the airport, three minutes after takeoff. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 73 occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

Loss of control during initial climb after the crew suffered a spatial disorientation in poor visibility due to the failure of the artificial horizon. This may be caused by the failure of the 36 volts electrical system.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-18V in Tashkent

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1976

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-18

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-75575

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Tashkent Province (Toshkent viloyati)

MSN:

185 0080 04

YOM:

1965

Location:

Tashkent-Yuzhny

Country:

Uzbekistan

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

26578

Aircraft flight cycles:

10114

Circumstances:

The approach and landing at Tashkent-Yuzhny Airport were completed in marginal weather conditions with strong crosswinds. After touchdown, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. All 8 crew and 89 passengers escaped unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2T near Khoyto-Gol

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1976

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-01226

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors: