Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-ZH125

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Batagay – Ozhogino – Zyrianka

MSN:

184 321 10

YOM:

Location:

Batagay

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1664

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Batagay Airport, while in initial climb, the crew encountered technical problems with both engines. Unable to gain sufficient height, the pilot-in-command attempted an emergency landing near a river located one km from the airfield. The airplane hit trees, crash landed, lost its undercarriage and came to rest in a wooded area. While all five crew members were uninjured, the airplane was written off.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew failed to prepare the flight properly and hurried the departure. With an OAT of -48° C., the oil was not sufficiently warm and this caused the engine to run improperly after rotation, with propellers blocked in an angle between 20° and 30°, causing drag and impeding the plane to gain sufficient altitude. In such conditions, an emergency landing was unavoidable.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Nizhniye Kresty

Date & Time: Nov 14, 1952 at 0153 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-H1011

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Government

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Pevek – Nizhniye Kresty – Magadan

MSN:

234 413 07

YOM:

1952

Location:

Chersky

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a flight from Pevek to Magadan with an intermediate stop in Nizhniye Kresty on behalf of the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD – Ministerstvo Vnutrennick Del). The takeoff from Nizhniye Kresty Airport was attempted by night and on a runway covered with light snow. After rotation, while in initial climb, the airplane banked left and the left wing just passed over a parked AN-2. The aircraft then turn to the right and crashed on a mound. All four crew members were evacuated safely and the aircraft was later considered as damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

The aircraft stalled during initial climb due to an insufficient takeoff speed that was the result of a wrong departure configuration on part of the flying crew. The reaction of the pilot-in-command at stall was incorrect, which was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Khandyga: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 3, 1952 at 0814 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4602

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Yakutsk – Khandyga – Allaikha

MSN:

46 07

YOM:

Location:

Khandyga

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2284

Circumstances:

On the leg from Yakutsk to Khandyga of a cargo flight from Yakutsk to Allaikha when the favorable weather forecast turned out not to be in line with reality. The aircraft deviated from the prescribed flight path due to strong winds, entered clouds and crashed at a height of some 1,200 metres into the northwestern slope of the first mountain of the Verkhoyanski khrebet ridge located some 95 km northwest of Khandyga and fell down into a ravine about 120 meters further on. All 4 crew were killed. The wreckage was found eight days later, on 11 of May.

Probable cause:

The weather report transmitted to the crew before departure did not reflect the reality and the weather conditions were worse than predicted. Nevertheless, the crew failed to demonstrate discipline and mismanaged the flight properly and according to the published procedures.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Namtsev: 20 killed

Date & Time: Dec 27, 1951 at 0426 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4228

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Yakutsk – Vilyuisk

MSN:

18421601

YOM:

1945

Location:

Namtsev

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

4429

Circumstances:

On a flight from Yakutsk to Vilyuisk when the crew selected fuel supply from the left rear tank but forgot to switch to another tank when the left rear tank ran empty. Both engines stopped 31 minutes into the flight so the crew tried to make an emergency landing in the valley of the river Taras located near Namtsev, about 90 km north of Yakutsk. Unfortunately, the crew set the propellers on high pitch and lowered the landing gear too early so the aircraft did not make it to the valley, stalled and crashed into a wooded area some 200 meters from an open area. All 20 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure caused by a fuel exhaustion due to poor management of the fuel supply system on part of the crew. The following factors were considered as contributory:
- Poor flight organization,
- Poor crew coordination,
- Several wrong decisions were taken by the flying crew during flight.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 near Yakutsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 20, 1951 at 1920 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-N566

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

1 09 473 01

YOM:

1951

Location:

Yakutsk

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

400

Circumstances:

After takeoff from an area located along the Lena River, in the region of Yakutsk, while climbing to a height of 50-60 meters, the single engine aircraft banked left to 65° and nosed down to 25° then plunged into the Lena River about 200 meters offshore. All four crew members were able to evacuate the cabin but only three reached the shore as the flight engineer was drowned.

Probable cause:

Loss of control caused by locked ailerons. The crew failed to prepare the flight properly and started the takeoff procedure with locked ailerons.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Vilyuisk: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 12, 1951 at 0702 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4314

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Vilyuisk - Yakutsk

MSN:

18427409

Location:

Vilyuisk

Country:

Region:

Landing (descent or approach)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Vilyuisk Airport, while climbing, the left engine failed. The crew was able to shut down the engine and to feather the propeller and decided to return to the airport for a safe landing. After completing a circuit, the airplane was approaching the airfield when it stalled and crashed in a field. Two passengers were killed while 14 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Failure of the left engine after liftoff due to a technical problem on the regulator. However, it was determined that the crew failed to take the appropriate actions and due to a lack of coordination, completed the approach in a wrong configuration with a too low speed, causing the aircraft to stall. A recovery was impossible due to an insufficient distance between the airplane and the ground. It appears that the captain and the second pilot who was acting as an instructor on this flight and was seating in the right seat did not have sufficient skills to operate in such situation with one engine inoperative.

Crash of a Focke-Wulf Fw.200C Condor in Yakutsk

Date & Time: Apr 23, 1950 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-N500

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

0199

Location:

Yakutsk

Country:

Region:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

318

Circumstances:

After touchdown in Yakutsk Airport, the airplane skidded and veered off runway to the right, lost its left main gear and completed a spin before coming to rest. While all nine occupants escaped unhurt, the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair due to severe damages on both left engines and the left wing as well. At the time of the accident, a crosswind of 18 km/h was blowing over the airport.

Crash of a Douglas TS-62 near in Vitim: 10 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1950 at 0812 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L862

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Irkutsk – Kirensk – Olyokminsk – Yakutsk

MSN:

12136

YOM:

1943

Flight number:

SU543

Location:

Vitim

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

3686

Circumstances:

En route from Kirensk to Olyokminsk, the left engine caught fire. The captain decided to reduce his altitude but the fire spread to the wing and reached the cabin via the heating system. Descending to an altitude of 2,000 meters, the left engine separated from the aircraft and the aircraft later crash landed in a field located 29 km southwest of Vitim and came to rest in flames. All four crew members and six passengers were able to escape while ten passengers were killed, apparently intoxicated by smoke.

Probable cause:

The cause of the in flight fire on the left engine could not be determined with certainty. However, the assumption that the fire was caused by the failure of a connection on the fuel line was not ruled out. The following factors were considered as contributory:
- the cabin crew failed to us the fire extinguisher, and also failed to close the heating system valve, which contributed to the quick propagation of the fire into the cabin,
- the captain decided to perform a steep descent that also contributed to the fire's propagation,
- the entire crew failed to give appropriate instructions to passengers prior to and after the accident, and failed to assist them for a safe evacuation, causing the death of 10 women and children.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Srednekolymsk: 23 killed

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1948

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4463

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Zyrianka – Srednekolymsk

Location:

Srednekolymsk

Country:

Region: