Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Following an uneventful flight from Kutaisi, the crew started the descent to Moscow-Domodedovo by night and good weather conditions. On approach at an altitude of 1,300 feet, the airplane banked left to an angle of 75° then nosed down and crashed in a huge explosion in a potatoes field located 16,3 km from the runway threshold. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 122 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the loss of control on approach was the consequence of the failure of artificial horizons as a result of a malfunction of the on-board electrical system. The combination of night, lack of visibility and flight instruments failure caused the pilot to suffer a spatial disorientation and the eventual loss of control.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 near Goris

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1973

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-70880

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

MSN:

1125 473 03

YOM:

1960

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

For unknown reason, the crew was flying below the minimum safe altitude when the single engine aircraft hit a mountain and crashed near Goris. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Tashauz: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1973 at 0811 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-71209

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Tashauz - Darvaza - Ashkhabad

MSN:

184 392 08

YOM:

1951

Flight number:

SU112

Location:

Tashauz

Daşoguz Province (Daşoguz welaýaty)

Country:

Turkmenistan

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

16994

Aircraft flight cycles:

15770

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the left engine failed while the right engine lost power. The aircraft's speed dropped to 70 km/h when, at a height of 50 meters, it stalled and crashed in an open field located about 3 km from the runway end. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

A failure in the fuel supply system caused both engines to partially stop during initial climb, causing the aircraft to stall and to crash.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 on Mt Khuuta

Date & Time: Oct 5, 1973

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-04340

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mys Kamennyy – Vorkuta

MSN:

1104 473 10

YOM:

1958

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On a flight from Mys Kamennyy to Vorkuta in support of a military unit, when deviated from the prescribed flight path by 45 km due to negligence of the crew. Encountered poor visibility, failed to return, descended to 300 metres and crash-landed on the eastern slope of Mt Khuuta (622 meters high) located in the region of Aksarka. All eight occupants were uninjured and evacuated by helicopters.

Probable cause:

Negligence on part of the crew.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12TB in Magadan: 10 killed

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1973 at 2336 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-12

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-12967

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Yakutsk - Magadan

MSN:

9 3 465 02

YOM:

1969

Flight number:

SU10178F

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was completing a cargo flight from Yakutsk to Magadan, carrying two passengers, eight crew members and a load of 12 tons of vegetables. The approach to Magadan-Sokol Airport was started by night and marginal weather conditions (rain falls). While descending to an altitude of 570 meters, the captain decided to initiate a go-around when the airplane struck the slope of a snow covered mountain and crashed 13,7 km short of runway. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 10 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident which resulted in a controlled flight into terrain was the consequence of several navigational errors on part of the crew of failed to follow the published procedures. This caused the aircraft to be off course by 5,6 km on approach. The poor visibility due to night and rain falls and the lack of ATC assistance was considered as contributing factors.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-104B in Sverdlovsk: 108 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1973 at 2037 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev TU-104

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-42506

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Sverdlovsk – Omsk – Novosibirsk – Chita – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok

MSN:

0 2 19 04

YOM:

1960

Flight number:

SU3932

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

100

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

108

Aircraft flight hours:

20582

Aircraft flight cycles:

9412

Circumstances:

After takeoff by night from Sverdlovsk-Koltsovo Airport, the crew was cleared to climb to 1,500 meters and initiated a left turn as instructed by ATC. The airplane first banked left to an angle of 35-40° and at an altitude of 1,200 meters, the left angle increased to 75-80° when control was lost. The airplane entered a dive and crashed in a huge explosion in a wooded area located 10 km from the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and none of the 108 occupants survived the crash. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were considered as marginal with a visibility limited to 6 km, overcast 800 feet, wind from northwest at 15 knots and light rain.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the loss of control during initial climb was the consequence of the failure of artificial horizons as a result of a malfunction of the on-board electrical system. The combination of night, lack of visibility and flight instruments failure caused the pilot to suffer a spatial disorientation and the eventual loss of control.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R near Tashauz: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1973 at 0719 LT

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-70212

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Spraying (Agricultural)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

1G138-30

YOM:

1972

Location:

Tashauz

Daşoguz Province (Daşoguz welaýaty)

Country:

Turkmenistan

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1029

Aircraft flight cycles:

3275

Circumstances:

During a crop-spraying flight for the sovkhoz (state farm) "40 let Turkmenskoi SSR" in the region of Tashauz, the single engine airplane collided at a height of 4 metres with a telephone pole located near the villages of Kommunizm and Udarnik (north-west of Tashauz) while flying against the low morning sun. The airplane crashed 120 metres further on, came to rest upside down, caught fire and burnt out. The captain was seriously injured while the copilot was killed.

Probable cause:

The crew failed to sea and avoid the telegraph pole while flying against the sun.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Samarkand

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1973

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-32213

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Spraying (Agricultural)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Samarkand - Samarkand

MSN:

1G95-25

YOM:

1968

Location:

Samarkand

Samarkand Province (Samarqand viloyati)

Country:

Uzbekistan

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after liftoff, an undercarriage hit an earth wall. The aircraft stalled and crashed. There were no casualties.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 in Tomsk: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 8, 1973 at 1702 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-41913

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Tomsk - Tomsk

MSN:

1 21 473 07

YOM:

1952

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

15272

Aircraft flight cycles:

11785

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a local training mission at Tomsk-Bogashovo Airport. Following four circuits, the pilot-in-command initiated a left turn when, at a height of about 120 meters, the airplane banked left to an angle of 20° then stalled and crashed 230 metres from the southern runway threshold. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all three crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, the assumption that the loss of control was caused by a possible jammed aileron control cable was not ruled out.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Sovetsk: 7 killed

Date & Time: Sep 7, 1973 at 1105 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-48982

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Kotlas - Voronezh

MSN:

2 34 437 07

YOM:

1953

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

10761

Circumstances:

The airplane was completing a ferry flight from Kotlas to Voronezh with two passengers and a crew of five on board. The flight was operated at an altitude of 1,500 meters from Kotlas to Kirov and after passing Kirov, the crew was cleared to climb to 1,800 meters. At 1056, the crew was instructed for heading 219° when nine minutes later, the airplane entered a dive and crashed in an uninhabited area located northwest of Sovetsk. The wreckage was found in the afternoon. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all seven occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the aircraft became uncontrollable after it encountered severe turbulences while cruising in thunderstorm activity. Investigations revealed that the crew has not been informed about the possible presence of thunderstorms as the main weather radar of the local meteorologist was out of service due to maintenance.

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