Abkhazia | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

While parked at Sukhumi-Babushara Airport, the aircraft was struck by a mortar shell, caught fire and exploded. The captain was killed and 29 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Destroyed by a mortar shell.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-154B in Sukhumi: 108 killed

Date & Time: Sep 22, 1993 at 1830 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev TU-154

Operator:

Registration:

4L-85163

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Tbilisi - Sukhumi

MSN:

76A163

YOM:

1976

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

120

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

108

Circumstances:

On final approach to Sukhumi-Babushara Airport, the aircraft was shot down by a surface-to-air missile and crashed near the runway threshold, bursting into flames. 24 people survived while 108 others were killed. All passengers were Georgian soldiers and policeman dispatched to Sukhumi.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a surface-to-air missile fired by Abkhazi separatists.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-134A off Sukhumi: 27 killed

Date & Time: Sep 21, 1993 at 1625 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev TU-134

Operator:

Registration:

4L-65893

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Sochi - Sukhumi

MSN:

53 40120

YOM:

1975

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was completing a charter flight from Sochi to Sukhumi, carrying foreign and Russian journalists. On final approach to Babushara Airport, at a height of 300 metres, the aircraft was hit by a surface-to-air Strela missile and crashed in the bay of Sukhumi about 4 km offshore. All 27 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a Strela missile fired by Abkhazi separatists based on a patrol boat.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-134A in Sukhumi

Date & Time: Aug 14, 1982 at 1809 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev TU-134

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-65836

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Sukhumi - Moscow-Vnukovo

MSN:

17113

YOM:

1974

Flight number:

SU974

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

17003

Aircraft flight cycles:

10406

Circumstances:

At 1808LT, the crew was cleared for takeoff from Sukhumi-Babushara runway 02. During the takeoff run, 26 seconds after it started to roll, at a speed of 195 km/h, the crew sighted a Let L-410M entering the runway. Registered CCCP-67191, the Let L-410 was engaged in a scheduled service (flight SU73G) to Kutaisi with two pilots and nine passengers on board. The captain of the Tupolev decided to abandon the takeoff maneuver and initiated an emergency braking procedure. Spoilers were deployed and revers systems were activated. He elected to turn to the left to reach an exit taxiway. In the same time, the crew of the Let saw the Tupolev coming from their right and increased engine power to move forward. Seven seconds after the crew of the Tupolev rejected takeoff, at a speed of 216 km/h, the right wing of the Tupolev struck the Let that was destroyed upon impact. The Tupolev rolled for about 514 meters then veered off runway to the left and came to rest 48 meters to the left of its centerline. All 82 people on board the TU-134 escaped uninjured while all 11 people on board the Let were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the collision was the consequence of a series of errors made by the crew of the Let L-410 who failed to follow ATC and ground controllers instructions regarding taxiing procedures prior to takeoff, which led them to enter the runway when he was not authorized to do so. A poor management in flights organization at Sukhumi Airport remains a contributing factor as well as few procedures violation on the part of ATC and ground controllers, among others concerning the use of a non-standard phraseology which may create confusion to the crew.

Crash of a Let L-410M in Sukhumi: 11 killed

Date & Time: Aug 14, 1982 at 1809 LT

Type of aircraft:

Let L-410

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-67191

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Sukhumi - Kutaisi

MSN:

78 11 20

YOM:

1978

Flight number:

SU73G

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2738

Aircraft flight cycles:

4098

Circumstances:

The Let L-410 departed the terminal and was approaching the runway to depart for a schedule service to Kutaisi, carrying nine passengers and a crew of two. At 1808LT, the crew of an Aeroflot Tupolev TU-134 registered CCCP-65836 was cleared for takeoff from runway 02. En route to Moscow-Vnukovo, the Tupolev was carrying 76 passengers and a crew of six. During the takeoff run, 26 seconds after it started to roll, at a speed of 195 km/h, the crew of the TU-134 sighted a Let L-410M entering the runway. The captain of the Tupolev decided to abandon the takeoff maneuver and initiated an emergency braking procedure. Spoilers were deployed and revers systems were activated. He elected to turn to the left to reach an exit taxiway. In the same time, the crew of the Let saw the Tupolev coming from their right and increased engine power to move forward. Seven seconds after the crew of the Tupolev rejected takeoff, at a speed of 216 km/h, the right wing of the Tupolev struck the Let that was destroyed upon impact. The Tupolev rolled for about 514 meters then veered off runway to the left and came to rest 48 meters to the left of its centerline. All 82 people on board the TU-134 escaped uninjured while all 11 people on board the Let were killed.

Probable cause:

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 near Pskhu: 9 killed

Date & Time: Oct 16, 1978 at 0940 LT

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-40553

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Pskhu - Sukhumi

MSN:

1G84-06

YOM:

1967

Flight number:

SU302G

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

8782

Aircraft flight cycles:

11072

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane departed the grassy runway at Pskhu Airport at 0925LT on a regular schedule service to Sukhumi and the crew was cleared to climb to 2,100 meters. About 15 minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 1,450 meters in good weather conditions, the airplane went out of control, struck tree tops and crashed in flames in a wooded area located on the slope of Mt Dzishra (2,623 meters high) located 6 km south of the airfield. The aircraft was totally destroyed by fire and all nine occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined by the fact that the aircraft was totally consumed by fire. Nevertheless, a high concentration of carbon monoxide was found in both pilots blood and it is believed it may be the consequence of smoke spreading in the cabin due to a fire in a hand luggage containing films or a possible electrical short-circuit. The assumption that the loss of control was also the consequence of an in-flight collision with a flock of birds that struck the windshield and injured both pilots was not ruled out.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24RV off Sukhumi: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 8, 1977 at 2139 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-24

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-46847

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Sukhumi - Kirovograd

MSN:

27307505

YOM:

1972

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

5698

Aircraft flight cycles:

16941

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a training flight from Kirovograd to Sukhumi and back to Kirovograd. Following a night takeoff from Sukhumi-Babushara Airport, while climbing at an altitude of 120 meters and a speed of 250 km/h, the crew raised the flaps when the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent until it struck at a speed of 370 km/h the water surface and crashed into the Black Sea about 690 meters offshore. A crew member was rescued while six other occupants were killed. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and sank.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, the assumption that the pilot-in-command suffered a spatial disorientation was not ruled out.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24RV on Mt Apshara: 38 killed

Date & Time: Nov 17, 1975 at 2214 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-24

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-46467

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Tbilisi - Batumi - Sukhumi - Krasnodar

MSN:

27307905

YOM:

1972

Flight number:

SU6274

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

7335

Aircraft flight cycles:

6878

Circumstances:

En route from Batumi to Sukhumi, weather conditions worsened and the crew was cleared to modify his route to avoid the low pressure are to the north. Few minutes later, the crew was cleared to descend to 2,400 meters. While cruising at a speed of 410 km/h in limited visibility due to the night and marginal weather conditions, the airplane struck the south slope of Mt Apshara (2,580 meters high) located about 26 km northeast of Gali, Abkhazia. The wreckage was found few hours later and all 38 occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the accident was the consequence of a series of negligences and wrong decisions on part of ATC who cleared the crew to descent to an unsafe altitude of 2,400 meters while the minimum safe altitude for the area was 3,600 meters. This was made possible by several errors in the track calculation after the crew has been cleared to avoid the low pressure area but his position was 25 km too far from the prescribed flight path at that moment. The crew failed to take the appropriate measures to know his proper position which was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14P in Tkvarcheli: 31 killed

Date & Time: Jun 10, 1960 at 1055 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-14

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-91571

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Rostov-on-Don – Krasnodar – Sochi – Sukhumi – Kutaisi – Tbilisi

MSN:

7 34 31 07

YOM:

Flight number:

SU207

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

5423

Circumstances:

After his departure from Sukhumi Airport, the crew continued to the southeast bound for Kutaisi at an altitude of 1,200 meters when poor weather conditions were encountered with clouds from 600 to 1,000 meters. Following a navigation error, the aircraft deviated 17 km to the north when it struck trees and crashed in flames on the north slope of Mt Rech (1,436 meters high) located near Tkvarcheli. The wreckage was found a day later. The airplane was completely destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 31 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the accident was the consequence of a navigation error on part of the crew, causing the aircraft to be off track by 17 km to the north. The following factors were considered as contributing:
- The crew was hastily fixed the day prior to the accident on a complexe routing,
- In spite of this complexity, the operations of the company failed to join a navigator to the crew, either a mechanic,
- Poor flight preparation,
- Poor weather assessment,
- The crew failed to make fix point after his departure from Sukhumi,
- Absence of radio monitoring on part of the Sukhumi services,
- Meteorologists failed to inform the pilots about the wind component and the weather conditions along the route,
- Shortcomings were noted with ATC services as the person in charge to follow the plane was a trainee who was not authorized to work independently. It was noted that for 20 minutes (a period corresponding to a distance of 100 km), the crew did not receive any ATC messages about his position or flight path.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14P off Sukhumi: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 22, 1956 at 2050 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-14

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1718

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Postal (mail)

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Moscow-Vnukovo – Kharkiv – Rostov-on-Don – Sukhumi – Kutaisi – Tbilisi

MSN:

1460 002 02

YOM:

Flight number:

SU227

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

Aircraft flight cycles:

Circumstances:

Less than one minute after takeoff from Sukhumi Airport by night, while climbing to a height of 60 meters, the aircraft adopted a pitch-down attitude and eventually crashed into the sea about 3 km off shore. The airplane sank by 15 meters deep and all six occupants were killed. The aircraft was carrying a load of 2,117 kilos of mail.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be established with certainty. However, the assumption the pilot could be blinded by a beam was not ruled out.

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