Sughd Province | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

While cruising at an altitude of 6,600 meters, the crew received the permission to descent to 4,500 meters when the automatic pilot system was deactivated. Suddenly, the airplane banked left to an angle of 90° then entered a dive. At an altitude of 2,200 meters, due to excessive g loads, the left wing separated and the aircraft caught fire. Out of control, it crashed at a speed of 840 km/h in an open field located 8,4 km southeast of Buston Station, about 38 km northwest of Leninabad Airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 79 occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, the assumption that the loss of control, that occurred just after the automatic pilot system has been deactivated, was caused by the failure of an attitude indicator was not ruled out.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 on Mt Airy Tash: 21 killed

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1970 at 2126 LT

Type of aircraft:

Yakovlev Yak-40

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-87690

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Frunze - Khujand

MSN:

9 91 05 03

YOM:

1969

Flight number:

SH-4

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1020

Aircraft flight cycles:

1344

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Frunze Airport, Kirghizistan, at 2024LT bound to Leninabad, Tajikistan, carrying 18 passengers and a crew of three. Weather conditions were considered as good and the crew reached the assigned altitude of 5,700 meters. En route, the crew failed to realize the airplane deviated from the prescribed flight path to the west and informed ATC he passed over the cities of Namangan and Kokand. At 2121LT, ATC based at Leninabad cleared the crew to descent to 3,300 meters then 2,100 meters without knowing the exact position of the airplane. By night, at a speed of 500 km/h, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Airy Tash (2,300 meters high) located about 90 km northeast of Leninabad. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 21 occupants were killed. First accident involving a Yak-40.

Probable cause:

Poor flight planning, erroneous in-flight decisions and navigation errors on part of the flying crew caused the aircraft to be off-course at the time of the accident, resulting in a controlled flight into terrain. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Lack of ATC assistance who failed to properly check the exact position of the aircraft before clearing the crew to descent to 2,100 meters over mountains terrain,
- ATC failed to use properly the different navaids, poor ATC coverage,
- Both pilots were relatively inexperienced on this type of aircraft as they were recently qualified on Yak-40 type,
- Lack of experience in IFR flight and by night,
- Despite the fact that the captain had already been disciplined for serious violations of flight rules, he had recently been allowed to fly with passengers on night flights on this type of aircraft.

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

Date & Time: Nov 18, 1948 at 0708 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4275

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Stalinabad – Leninabad – Tashkent

MSN:

184 229 09

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2948

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a cargo flight from Stalinabad to Tashkent with an intermediate stop in Leninabad, carrying a load of tires, construction goods, ropes and tuns. After the aircraft overflew Jizzhak, the captain started the descent through thick clouds. At this moment, the crew was unaware that the aircraft was off course due to strong winds when, at an altitude of 700 meters, the aircraft hit the west slope of a mountain located in the Mogol-Tau Mountain Range, about 31 km from Leninabad. Rescuers arrived on site a day later and were able to evacuate a wounded crew member while four other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the accident was caused by the combination of the following factors:
- Rough indiscipline of the captain who violated several rules and requirements,
- Poor organization of aircraft flight planning and mismanagement of aircraft traffic,
- Wrong decision taken regarding the weather forecast,
- Lack of assistance and guidance during the flight, regarding the deterioration of the weather along the route,
- Poor control of flight operations,
- Lack of professionalism on part of the Stalinabad AMSC that transmitted to the crew undue weather, wrong weather forecasting with conditions worse than predicted,
- Poor organization and operational control to ensure safety,
- Failure to provide the appropriate Leninabad radio equipment for the aircraft,
- Lack of leadership on part of the RDS in Stalinabad and Tashkent,
- Lack of accurate instructions on part of the ADS in Leninabad.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Leninabad: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 16, 1947

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4088

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Leninabad – Alma Ata

MSN:

184 137 04

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1984

Circumstances:

The aircraft lifted off from Leninabad after a takeoff roll of 1,200 meters only. After rotation, while in initial climb at a height of 2-3 meters, the aircraft hit a telephone pole and power cables, stalled and crashed in flames. Three occupants were killed while four others were injured, among them the copilot. The aircraft was partially destroyed by fire. The crew was performing a cargo flight to Alma Ata, carrying a load consisting of apricots and silk.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the takeoff roll was too long because the total weight of the aircraft was 627 kilos above the MTOW. Despite the situation, the captain did not take the decision to abandon the takeoff and completed the rotation after a course of 1,200 meters with an insufficient speed. After liftoff, a part of the cargo totaling 290 kilos shifted in the rear of the cabin, causing the aircraft to stall.

Crash of a Polikarpov PR-5 in Leninabad: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 16, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov PR-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L2162

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Postal (mail)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Stalinabad – Leninabad

MSN:

106

YOM:

1937

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

At 0700LT, the pilot was cleared for takeoff from Stalinabad on a mail flight to Leninabad despite weather conditions at destination were poor due to thunderstorm activity. On approach, the pilot lost control of the aircraft that crashed in a field and was killed.

Probable cause:

The pilot was inexperienced and this was his first solo flight. Failure of the Authority at Stalinabad Airport who allowed the pilot to take off despite poor weather conditions at destination and his lack of experience.