Yukhari Garabakh | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

En route from Moscow to Tehran, while in cruising altitude over Armenia by night, the aircraft was shot down by a surface-to-air missile and crashed 3 km north of Stepanakert Airport. All 32 occupants were killed. According to Iranian authorities, all passengers were employees of the Iranian embassy in Moscow flying back home with family members.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Khanabad: 7 killed

Date & Time: Oct 29, 1991

Type of aircraft:

PZL-Mielec AN-2

Operator:

AZAL-Agro

Registration:

CCCP-40704

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Yevlakh – Stepanakert

MSN:

1G215-02

YOM:

1985

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Circumstances:

En route from Yevlakh to Stepanakert, while cruising at a relative low altitude, the single engine airplane was shot down and crashed in a field near Khanabad. All seven occupants were killed. First civil airplane shot down during the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Probable cause:

Shot down by ground fire from unknown origin.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 near Stepanakert: 47 killed

Date & Time: Aug 1, 1990 at 1009 LT

Type of aircraft:

Yakovlev Yak-40

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-87453

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Yerevan - Stepanakert

MSN:

9 43 10 36

YOM:

1974

Flight number:

SU35D

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Circumstances:

The aircraft operated on a passenger service from Yerevan-Erebuni Airport to Stepanakert Airport. In addition to 30 passengers with tickets, the crew took on board 13 unregistered passengers. With this heavy load, the captain requested a lower altitude, 4,500 meters, for the flight. This was granted by ATC, while the regular altitude on the route was 5,100-6,600 meters with a minimum safe height of 4,516 meters. At 09:59, at a distance of 21 km after passing the Azizbekov NDB, the crew was taken over by a controller of Kafan Airport. The controller instructed to keep the height of 4,500 meters to the point of descent. The flight was the cleared down to 3,900 meters and the aircraft descended over mountains covered by a cloud deck with an upper boundary of 3,000-3,300 meters. However, the flight crew never reported their exact position and the controller did not check it on radar. The flight reached the altitude of 3,900 meters at 10:07, and continued descending without informing the controller. At 10:08, the captain requested to contact Stepanakert, while giving a false report that the flight altitude was 3,900 meters. Not observing the aircraft, not knowing its actual flight altitude and not having direct communication with the controller at Stepanakert, the Kafan ATC controller allowed the crew to switch to the Stepanakert frequency. The captain reported to the controller that they were at an altitude of 3,900 meters and requested permission to descend to 2,400 meters. The controller at Stepanakert, having no radar facilities to monitor the aircraft, permitted a descent to 3,000 meters the NDB. At 10:09:57, the aircraft collided with a rocky mountain slope at an altitude of 2,520 meters while descending in clouds. All 47 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by a combination of the following factors:
- The captain's violations of the flight rules set forth in the policy documents manifested in unsatisfactory navigation, straightening the route and premature unauthorized descent to a height below the minimum safety altitude, which resulted in a collision with a mountain.
- Violations of ATC rules in their zones by ATC dispatchers of Erebuni, Kafan and Stepanakert airports, expressed in failure to comply with the rules of air traffic control and non-interference in the actions of the crew who violated the rules of navigation and flight regime, which did not allow timely prevention of the aircraft collision with an obstacle. The dispatchers at Yerevan-Stepanakert have a stereotype of work: to allow those conditions of approach, which the crews requested. These violations became possible due to shortcomings in the organization of flight work, flights and air traffic control at the Yerevan-Stepanakert MVL of the Armenian and Azerbaijani State Administration.

Crash of a Polikarpov AP in Zhdanovsky: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 23, 1939 at 0700 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov Po-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-A1072

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Spraying (Agricultural)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Zhdanovsky - Zhdanovsky

MSN:

14245

YOM:

1939

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Circumstances:

The pilot, sole on board, was completing a crop spraying mission on cotton field in the area of Zhdanovsky. In unknown circumstances, he lost control of the airplane that nosed down and crashed in a field. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

The pilot was inexperienced, was not familiar with the area and was completing the mission in a solo configuration, in violation of the published procedures.