Belgrade City District

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Yekaterinburg - Belgrade - Valetta

MSN:

00834 14451

YOM:

1988

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Yekaterinburg to Africa via Belgrade and Luqa, Malta, carrying two passengers, 10 crew members and a load of aircraft tires and squibs. Following a night takeoff from Belgrade-Surčin Airport, the crew informed ATC about technical problems and reported the loss of all electrical power. Following a holding pattern for about 2,5 hours, the crew attempted to land but the visibility was low due to poor weather conditions. On short final, without any headlights, the aircraft struck the ground and crashed 800 metres short of runway, bursting into flames. All 12 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that prior to takeoff from Belgrade-Surčin Airport, while preparing the flight, the crew forgot to switch on the VU-6A AC/DC converter after start-up of the engines, causing the 27 volts electrical system to be constantly fed from the batteries. When batteries ran flat, all the avionic and boosters were left without power.

Crash of a Douglas DC-9-32 in Belgrade

Date & Time: Nov 23, 1974

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-9

Operator:

Registration:

YU-AJN

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Paris - Belgrade

MSN:

47579/693

YOM:

1973

Location:

Country:

Region:

Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Belgrade-Surčin Airport, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with patches of fog and a visibility limited to 2,500 meters with 7/8 of clouds at 1,500 meters. The pilot-in-command decided to continue the approach after he lost visual contact with the ground when the airplane struck the ground 2,570 meters short of runway threshold. On impact, the undercarriage were torn off and the airplane slid for several meters before coming to rest in flammes. All 50 occupants were able to evacuate the cabin and only four passengers were slightly injured while the aircraft was totally destroyed by a post crash fire.

Probable cause:

Wrong approach configuration on part of the flying crew who decided to continue the approach below the minimum descent altitude in limited visibility after visual contact was lost with the ground.

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III in Belgrade

Date & Time: Nov 20, 1972

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

YU-AJG

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

MSN:

191

YOM:

1965

Location:

Country:

Region:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After touchdown at Belgrade-Surcin Airport, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and came to a halt. There were no casualties while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Belgrade: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 20, 1965

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

YU-ACB

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Belgrade - Belgrade

MSN:

13367

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a local training flight in the region of Belgrade. While approaching Belgrade-Surcin Airport, the airplane went out of control and crashed near the Save River, some 4 km short of runway 30 threshold. All five crew members were killed.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-18V in Belgrade: 33 killed

Date & Time: Oct 19, 1964 at 1135 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-18

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-75668

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Moscow – Belgrade

MSN:

183 0057 04

YOM:

1963

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to Belgrade-Surcin Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. On final, ATC informed the pilot his altitude was insufficient and that he was approaching below the glide. In foggy conditions, the airplane struck trees and crashed in flames in a dense wooded area located on the slope of Mt Avala (520 meters high) located about 20 km from the runway 30 threshold. The wreckage was found about 35 meters below the summit and all 33 occupants were killed. Among the victims were Marshall Sergei S. Biryuzov and General Vladimir I. Zhdanov accompanied by 15 WWII Veterans who were flying to Belgrade to take part to the celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the offensive of the city of Belgrade by the Soviet Army on 20 October 1944. Following the accident, all celebrations were cancelled.

Probable cause:

The crew continued the approach at an insufficient altitude, maybe due to an altimeter misreading or malfunction. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced due to fog and the weather conditions were poor due to rain falls and cross winds up to 25 knots.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Velika Ivanča: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1944 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

D-AUAW

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Athens – Sofia – Belgrade – Vienna

MSN:

641039

YOM:

1943

Location:

Velika Ivanča

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The three engine aircraft christened 'Gerhard Amann' was approaching Belgrade Airport at an altitude of some 400 meters when it was shot down by the pilots of three enemy fighters and crashed in a field located in Velika Ivanča, south of Belgrade. All five occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fighter.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Belgrade: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1944 at 1345 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

D-ADQW

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Thessaloniki – Belgrade

MSN:

640610

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region: