Verkhnyaya Khava | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew elected to takeoff from a terrain located about 4 km north of Verkhnyaya Khava with a tailwind component and crosswinds. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft became uncontrollable and veered to the right, causing the right main gear to be torn off after it rolled in soft ground. Out of control, the aircraft came to rest upside down. Both pilots escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

The decision of the crew to take off with an excessive tailwind component and crosswinds without sufficient correction during the takeoff procedure.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-18E in Verkhnyaya Khava: 111 killed

Date & Time: Mar 6, 1976 at 0058 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-18

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-75408

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Moscow - Yerevan

MSN:

186 0092 01

YOM:

1966

Flight number:

SU909

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

100

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

111

Aircraft flight hours:

21587

Aircraft flight cycles:

9082

Circumstances:

While cruising by night at an altitude of 7,800 metres, the electrical system failed, causing several instruments to fail, among them gyros. Control was lost and the airplane entered a dive and eventually crashed in a nose-down angle of 70° in an open field located 150 metres from the village of Verkhnyaya Khava, about 50 km northeast of Voronezh. Some debris of the airplane were found at a depth of 14 meters. It disintegrated on impact and all 111 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The 36 volts electrical system failed in flight, causing the automatic pilot system to fail as well as instruments such as gyros. Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the electrical system's failure. While flying by night and in a visibility reduced by clouds, the crew was unable to have visual references and lost control of the airplane after suffering a spatial disorientation.