Poltava oblast | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was completing chemical work to protect sunflower crop from pests. This was the eighth sortie of the day. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing to a height of 20-30 metres, the engine lost power and the airplane started to lose altitude. No suitable terrain was available for an emergency landing. The airplane collided with trees and crashed in a wooded area, bursting into flames. Both crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was totally destroyed by a post crash fire.

Probable cause:

The immediate cause of the accident was a forced landing caused by a loss of engine power on unsuitable terrain. The most likely cause of the loss of engine power is the use of a low quality A-95 motor gasoline.

Final Report:

Crash of an Antonov AN-24RV in Poltava

Date & Time: Apr 25, 1975

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-24

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-46476

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

2 73 080 04

YOM:

1972

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On approach to Poltava Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility due to low clouds and local patches of fog. Unable to locate the runway, the captain decided to abandon the approach and initiated a go-around. Few minutes later, during a second attempt to land, while descending to a height of 50-60 meters, the airplane entered a patch of fog and visual contact with the ground was lost. Despite the situation, the pilot-in-command continued the approach until the airplane struck the ground and crashed 2,130 metres short of runway threshold. All 11 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Poor approach planning on part of the crew who failed to properly monitor the instruments during an approach completed in marginal weather conditions, and failure of the crew to discontinue the approach after visual contact was lost.

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

Date & Time: May 5, 1972

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-25604

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Spraying (Agricultural)

Survivors:

Site:

City

MSN:

1G61-30

YOM:

1965

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

During crop-spraying operations in the Poltava region, the intoxicated pilot performed unauthorized manoeuvres at low height over a village when he lost control of the aircraft that collided with a building and was completely destroyed. The pilot and the sole passenger (an aircraft mechanic) were killed.

Probable cause:

Intoxicated pilot.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-124 in Lihovka Zapolishki: 37 killed

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1970 at 1537 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev TU-124

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-45012

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Mineralnye Vody - Rostov-on-Don - Vilnius

MSN:

1 35 04 02

YOM:

1961

Flight number:

SU3630

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

7504

Aircraft flight cycles:

6996

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Rostov-on-Don Airport at 1455LT and reached the assigned altitude of 8,400 meters at 1514LT. At this time, ATC instructed the crew to climb to 9,000 meters due to traffic ahead. The new altitude of 9,000 meters was reached two minutes later at 1516LT. While cruising in good weather conditions, the crew sent a brief message and mentioned the number '45' followed by a long pause. A second message was heard on the frequency with the number 'zero' then a third message with the pilot shouting the number '12'. Then the contact was definitely interrupted and the airplane entered a dive. During the descent, it reached the speed of 950 km/h and banked left to an angle of 75° before crashing in a cornfield located about 90 km from Dniepropetrovsk and 57 km from Krementchug. At impact, the airplane caused a huge crater and the accident was not survivable.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. Nevertheless, the following facts were reported:
- There was no in-flight collision,
- There was no in-flight fire prior to impact,
- No military operations were in place in that area at the time of the accident,
- Both engines were turning at idle at impact.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2M in Breusovka: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 1, 1968 at 1642 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-02332

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Spraying (Agricultural)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Breusovka – Olkhovatka

MSN:

7 014 20

YOM:

1967

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

699

Aircraft flight cycles:

2793

Circumstances:

The pilot made an unauthorized leg from Breusovka (Kozelshchina district of the Poltava region) to Olkhovatka during crop-spraying operations from Olkhovatka with 2 unauthorized passengers on board. The aircraft suffered engine problems shortly after takeoff as the fuel was contaminated with water. The heavily intoxicated pilot (3.8 ‰) attempted an emergency landing in a field when the aircraft came down hard and broke up. The pilot and a passenger were killed while a second passenger was seriously injured.

Probable cause:

Engine failure due to contaminated fuel. Intoxicated pilot.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-196A in Mirgorod

Date & Time: Aug 21, 1941 at 2045 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

URSS-H

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Supply

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Moscow - Kharkiv - Kiev

MSN:

2046

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Moscow at 1335LT on a flight to Kiev with an intermediate stop in Kharkiv, carrying four crew members and 20 passengers, doctors and link officers. At Kharkiv Airport, some equipment were unloaded then the crew continued to Kiev where the airplane landed at 1915LT. Because it was too dangerous to leave an airplane at Kiev for the overnight, the crew was instructed to continue to Mirgorod. Upon arrival, the pilot was unable to locate the runway due to the lack of visibility (night), the absence of ground light and the fact that the left headlight of the airplane failed about 20 minutes prior to landing. At a height of about 10-15 metres, the pilot saw the masts of antennas and made a sharp turn to the left to avoid the collision when the airplane stalled and crash landed. All 24 occupants evacuated safely while the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Tupolev PS-41 in Dmytrivka

Date & Time: Jul 12, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L3502

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

17/206

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On June 29, while on a flight from Moscow to Ternopol, the airplane was hit by ground fire and landed in Proskurov. The same day, the crew departed Proskurov for Kiev but the airplane was again hit by ground fire while approaching Kiev. The crew decided to land in a rye field near Dmytrivka. After the airplane was repaired on site, the crew attempted to take off but the airplane crashed in a swamp. Both pilots escaped uninjured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.