Kamchatka Krai

The approach and landing at Palana Airport were completed in strong crosswinds. The twin engine aircraft landed hard and was apparently damaged beyond repair due to structural damages. All 12 occupants evacuated safely.

The approach to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky-Khalaktyrka Airport was initiated in poor weather conditions. In limited visibility due to rain falls, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when, at a height of 1,500 meters, the aircraft struck the slope of a snow covered mountain (2,310 meters high) located 35 km from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 37 occupants were killed.

Following an uneventful flight from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport, the crew started the descent to Klyuchi Airport when he encountered below minimum visibility due to heavy snow falls. On final approach, the aircraft descended below the glide when he struck tree tops and crashed in a wooded area. All 6 crew and 29 of the 31 passengers (conscripts) were killed.

The crew departed Palana on a flight to Lesnaya. Approaching Lesnaya, weather conditions were poor and due to limited visibility, the crew was unable to locate the landing zone and decided to return to Palana. While flying at an altitude below 50 meters, the pilot-in-command initiated a right turn when the airplane lost height and crashed into the sea about 270 meters offshore. Five occupants swum to shore while a passenger drowned.

The single airplane departed Batagay on a schedule service to Lazo with 10 passengers and two pilots on board. En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low visibility and icing conditions. While cruising in low clouds at an altitude of 860 meters, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the region of Lazo. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all 12 occupants were killed.

Parked at the airport, the single engine airplane was stolen in the early morning by a drunk pilot. After takeoff, while flying at low height over the city, the pilot initiated a sharp turn to the left when the aircraft struck a pillar. Out of control, it nosed down and crashed against the facade of an office building. Upon impact, the pilot was ejected and was slightly injured while the aircraft was destroyed.

The single engine airplane departed Milkovo Airport at 1117LT bound to the south. En route, weather conditions worsened and clouds developed over the Sredinny Mountain Range. At an altitude of 2,400 meters, the airplane entered clouds while descending to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky-Galaktyrka Airport. At an altitude of 2,200 meters, strong downdrafts were encountered then the airplane lost height and crashed on the north face of Mt Aag (2,230 meters high) located about 28 km northeast of Galaktyrka Airport. The burned wreckage was spotted a day later in deep snow and it was confirmed that all seven occupants were killed. Two days later, an avalanche dragged the wreckage for almost 700 meters and only the copilot's body was later found.

The airplane departed Ayanka Airstrip at 1332LT on a flight to Tilichiki, carrying one passenger, three crew members and a load of 10 empty fuel barrels. Sixteen minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 1,800 meters in good weather conditions, the pilot informed ATC about a strong smell of fuel on board and elected to return to Ayanka. Six minutes later, engine fuel pressure dropped while the fuel smell was still present. A minute and 35 seconds later, the engine caught fire. The crew reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing when, at an altitude of 400 meters, the airplane nosed down and crashed by an angle of 60° in a small icy lake located 20 km southeast of Ayanka. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed.

Few minutes after takeoff from Ozernaya while on a cargo flight to Ust-Bolsheretsk, the intoxicated captain deliberately deviated from the prescribed flight path. The aircraft entered clouds and crashed at a height of 350 meters into the snow covered northern slope of Mt Ukho located 9 km north of Ozernaya. A pilot and the passenger were killed while the sole survivor was seriously injured. At the time of the accident, the captain was intoxicated. A blood test revealed an alcohol level of 1.8 ‰.

On the leg from Khalaktyrka to Kozyrevsk of a flight from Khalaktyrka to Esso when the crew decided to take the route over the mountains instead of the route along the valleys although the weather conditions did not allow such deviation. The aircraft entered clouds and crashed under control at a height of 1,230 metres on the slope of a mountain (1,280 metres) located in the Ganalskiye gory range, some 16 km east of Malka (Yelizovo district of Kamchatka). The airplane then slid down on the slope for 700 metres before coming to rest in the valley of the Zubastaya River. Both pilots were killed while all 11 passengers were injured (8 of them seriously). The wreckage and the survivors were found a day later, on 11JAN69.