Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Ust-Kut - Mirny

MSN:

4 018 05

YOM:

1964

Location:

Lensk

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Ust-Kut Airport on a cargo flight to Mirny, carrying a load of 18 tons of cement. Few minutes after takeoff, the crew was informed that a landing at Mirny Airport was impossible due to technical problems and the captain decided, without referring to his operations, to divert to Lensk Airport where the weather conditions were considered as poor. At that time, the sky was overcast with clouds down to 600 meters, an horizontal visibility of 2,500 meters with rain and snow. The flight was continued at an altitude of 8,000 meters then the crew was cleared to descent to 3,000 meters and to start the approach to Lensk. On final, the pilot-in-command failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane struck tall trees (20 meters high) in a flat attitude, continued the descent and crashed 420 meters further in a wooded area. The wreckage was found 15,6 km short of runway threshold. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all six crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of a premature descent and a controlled flight into terrain for undetermined reason. Nevertheless, the assumption that an engine may have failed on approach was not ruled out. At the time of the accident, Lensk Airport was not equipped with an ILS system or any kind of ground guidance assistance system.

Crash of an Antonov AN-10A in Mirnyy

Date & Time: Aug 8, 1968

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-10

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-11172

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Irkutsk – Mirny

MSN:

9 4 016 02

YOM:

1959

Location:

Mirny

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Mirny Airport, the crew lowered the undercarriage when the left main gear detached and fell away. The captain decided to attempt an emergency landing in a wasteland. After touchdown, the aircraft banked left, causing the left wing tip to struck the ground and to be torn off, as well as a part of the engine number one. The aircraft slid for several yards before coming to rest. While all occupants escaped uninjured, the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

It was determined that a day prior to the accident, another crew who performed a flight from Yakutsk to Irkutsk failed to report a hard landing at Irkutsk Airport. Investigations revealed that the structure of the left main gear was damaged following this hard landing.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12B in Yakutsk

Date & Time: Jan 29, 1968

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-12

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-11015

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Yakutsk-Intl (Platon Oyunsky)

MSN:

6 3 440 06

YOM:

1966

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Damaged beyond repair after suffering a hard landing. No casualties.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24B near Olyokminsk: 45 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1968 at 1828 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-24

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-47733

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Yakutsk – Olyokminsk – Lensk – Ust-Kut – Krasnoyarsk – Novosibirsk

MSN:

69901001

YOM:

1966

Flight number:

SU1668

Location:

Olyokminsk

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1543

Aircraft flight cycles:

1543

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Olyokminsk Airport at 1810LT bound for Lensk. Eighteen minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 4,500 meters, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent until it crashed in a near vertical attitude (80°) in a dense wooded area located 92 km west of Olyokminsk. The aircraft partially disintegrated in the air and debris scattered on a large area. There was no fire on board prior to final impact. None of the 45 occupants survived the accident.

Probable cause:

Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. There were no technical failure on engine or equipment prior to the accident nor fire on board nor any in-flight collision with any object.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Aldan: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 12, 1967 at 1250 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-16150

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Takhtamygda – Kyzyl-Syr

MSN:

37 03

YOM:

1948

Location:

Aldan

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a cargo flight from Takhtamygda to Kyzyl-Syr with one passenger on board. While cruising in clouds, the left engine failed. The captain decided to divert to Aldan for an emergency landing. On approach, the crew was unable to lower the gear so the captain decided to make a go-around. Due to the presence of mountains all around the airport, the captain decided to make a sharp turn to the left. From a height of 15-20 meters, the airplane banked left then stalled and crashed in a snow covered field located near the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Failure of the left engine in flight for undetermined reason. The presence of icing conditions and the complexity of the approach at Aldan Airport due to mountains all around were considered as contributing factors.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Chersky

Date & Time: Apr 11, 1967 at 2006 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-04213

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mys Schmidta – Chersky

MSN:

184 346 10

YOM:

1951

Location:

Chersky

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On approach to Chersky Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with reduced visibility. Three attempts to land were abandoned and the crew was forced to make a go around at each time. During the fourth approach, the aircraft was too low and crash landed on the icy Kolyma River, about 3,5 km from the runway threshold. All occupants (5 crew members and an undetermined number of passengers) were injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

The crew attempted to land while flying visually in IFR conditions. The following factors were considered as contributing:
- Poor crew coordination,
- Lack of assistance to the captain on part of the copilot and the navigator,
- Seat belt nos fastened,
- VFR approach in IFR conditions,
- Limited competences of the captain while flying in poor weather conditions.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14P near Pokrovsk: 15 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1967 at 1428 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-14

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-61657

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Irkutsk - Olyokminsk - Yakutsk

MSN:

6 34 18 01

YOM:

1956

Flight number:

SU1799

Location:

Pokrovsk

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising at an altitude of 1,800 meters in snow showers, the crew informed ATC that the right engine caught fire. A minute later, the crew reported he was unable to extinguish the fire and elected to divert to Pokrovsk. While descending, the captain attempted an emergency landing when the airplane struck tree tops and crashed in flames in a snow covered forest located 35 km from Pokrovsk. Five passengers were rescued while 15 others occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the fire on the right engine was caused by the rupture of a fuel line.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2Skh in Ust-Maya

Date & Time: Nov 16, 1965

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-01189

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

1 79 473 17

YOM:

1957

Location:

Ust-Maya

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The undercarriage collapsed while landing on a snow covered runway at Ust-Maya. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 in Batagay: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1964 at 2053 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-23740

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Batagay - Batagay

MSN:

1 37 473 08

YOM:

1954

Location:

Batagay

Country:

Region: