Country
code

Kaliningrad oblast

Crash of a Boeing 737-3Y0 in Kaliningrad

Date & Time: Oct 1, 2008 at 2318 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
EI-DON
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Barcelona - Kaliningrad
MSN:
23812/1511
YOM:
1988
Flight number:
KNI794
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
138
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
5372
Captain / Total hours on type:
1258.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1010
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1010
Aircraft flight hours:
48514
Aircraft flight cycles:
39949
Circumstances:
The accident aircraft Boeing 737-3Y0 EI-DON, was operated by KD Avia on a flight from Kaliningrad, Russia to Barcelona, Spain and return. Flight KD793 to Barcelona was uneventful. The return flight, KD794, departed at 16:18 with 138 passengers and six crew members on board. The copilot was Pilot Flying, the captain was Pilot Monitoring. The en route part of the flight was uneventful. As the flight was descending to Kaliningrad at night in heavy rains and with gusty crosswind. During the descent flaps were first selected at 1° and thereafter to 5°. As the flaps were transitioning to this position, a flap asymmetry warning caught the attention of the crew. At 19:00 hours the captain took over control and selected flaps to 2°, the position at which there was no asymmetry warning. The crew then contacted the controller at Kaliningrad and reported that they had flap problems. As the descent was continued, the copilot performed the necessary calculations for a landing with flaps at 2°. At 19:09 the cabin crew was warned to prepare for a high-speed landing. Using the QRH to work the flap issue, the co-pilot activated the 'flap inhibit' and 'gear inhibit' switches. This "incorrect" action effectively disconnected the ground-proximity warning system (GPWS). At 19:11 it was established that the landing speed would be Vref +30, leading to a planned landing speed of 161 knots. At 19:14 the Landing Gear Warning Horn sounded due to the combination of power and flaps setting with the fact that the landing gear had not been selected down. This warning was cancelled by the crew. When the engine power was reduced to idle, the Landing Gear Warning Horn sounded again. This time the crew did not pay attention to the warning and continued to land. The airplane performed a gear up landing, sliding for 1440 m before coming to rest on the runway. The flap asymmetry issue was caused by a faulty Flap Position Transmitter. The flaps had extended to the commanded position, but the system incorrectly detected an asymmetry issue. This issue had occurred previously on EI-DON. The sensor had been replaced prior to departure from Kaliningrad that same day.
Probable cause:
The crash was caused by aircraft landing with not extended landing gear that resulted in aircraft structure and engines damage and it was caused by combination of the following adverse factors:
- Erroneous deactivation of GPWS gear warning (voice) system that was caused by failure to perform QRH recommendations on flaps warning deactivation during their asymmetrical extension;
- Presence of QRH manual on board of Boeing-737-300 EI-DON aircraft containing in Additional Deferred Item clause of Trailing Edge Flap Asymmetry chapter recommendation to the crew which are not specialized for the board configuration;
- Violation of the "Crew operating procedure of Boeing-737-300 aircraft" and non-compliance with QRH recommendations («LANDING CHECKLIST» section) with the result that the crew did not extend landing gear and did not monitor their position;
- Stereotyping on actuation of Landing Gear Warning Horn aural warning during approach as a result of which the crew deactivated it repeatedly without monitoring of landing gear position;
- Inadequate coordination of the crew resulted in lack of monitoring of compliance with FCOM and QRH requirements at occurrence and development of abnormal situation;
Appropriate safety recommendations based on the investigation results were developed.
Following this accident, both pilots lost their licence and KD Avia's AOC was revoked by Russian authorities in September 2009. The same month, KD Avia bankrupted.
Final Report:

Crash of an Antonov AN-24T in Svetlogorsk: 35 killed

Date & Time: May 16, 1972 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
05
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Kaliningrad - Kaliningrad
MSN:
9 9 1 13 02
YOM:
1969
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
35
Circumstances:
The airplane was engaged in a weather survey mission over the Baltic sea and was carrying two passengers and a crew of six. While returning to his base at Kaliningrad-Khrabrovo Airport, the crew failed to set the altimeter properly, causing the aircraft to approach the land at an insufficient altitude. In low clouds, the pilot-in-command did not realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck trees, lost height and crashed in flames 200 meters further onto a school. The airplane was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire as well as the school building. All eight occupants on board the aircraft were killed as well as 27 people on the ground, 23 children and three adults. Two other children were seriously injured.
Probable cause:
Wrong altimeter setting caused the aircraft to fly at an insufficient altitude. Lack of visibility due to low clouds and poor ATC assistance was considered as contributing factors.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Mulden: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L915
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wormditt - Insterburg
MSN:
13350
YOM:
18
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from Wormditt (now Orneta) to Insterburg (now Cherniakhovsk). Enroute, weather conditions worsened and the visibility was poor. Despite the situation, the crew decided to continue to Insterburg. At a too low altitude, the aircraft hit trees with its right wing and crashed in a wooded area located in Mulden (now Perevalovo). The wreckage was found three days later and all five crew members were killed.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-4 in Heiligenbeil: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 14, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F1+AS
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
8520
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
In unknown circumstances, the bomber collided with a second JU.88 registered F1+ES. Both airplanes crashed in Heiligenbeil (now Mamonovo), killing all 10 occupants.
Crew:
Fw Karl Wolter, pilot,
Fw Hans Lörcher, bomb aimer,
Uffz Martin Faulstich, radio operator,
Uffz Franz Hierblinger,
Ogfr Karl Folgmann, air gunner.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-4 in Heiligenbeil: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 14, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F1+ES
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
8534
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
In unknown circumstances, the bomber collided with a second JU.88 registered F1+AS. Both airplanes crashed in Heiligenbeil (now Mamonovo), killing all 10 occupants.
Crew:
Lt Werner Schanze, pilot,
Uffz Hans Pirzer, bomb aimer,
Uffz Alfred Rother, radio operator,
Fw Erich Palm,
Obfw Friedrich Eickelmann, air gunner.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-5 off Königsberg: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 5, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
M7+FK
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
6404
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Königsberg. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Uffz Martin Hesse, pilot,
Uffz Karl-Heinz Müller, observer,
Uffz Sippel, air gunner +1.

Crash of a Junkers W.34 in Rauschen: 4 killked

Date & Time: Nov 29, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
2887
YOM:
1935
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Following an in-flight collision with a Junkers JU.52, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed near Rauschen (now Svetlogorsk, Kaliningrad) in Königsberg. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
FF Uffz Joachim Gabriel,
Lt Heinrich Rackwitz,
Bw Flg Herbert Skwara,
Bf Gefr Wenzel.

Crash of a Junkers F.13ce off Brüsterort: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1935
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
D-OHIL
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
723
YOM:
1924
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew (three student pilots and two instructors) were performing a training flight over the Baltic Sea, working on new telecommunications techniques. While cruising in snow falls, the single engine aircraft crashed into the sea off Brüsterort (now Mayak), East Prussia (now Kaliningrad). No trace of the aircraft nor the five crew members was ever found. Pilot Arthur Kühnke +4.

Crash of a Junkers G.24 in Königsberg

Date & Time: Nov 26, 1926 at 1730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
D-944
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Königsberg – Gdańsk – Berlin
MSN:
907
YOM:
1925
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Königsberg (Kaliningrad) Airport, the pilot encountered engine problems and elected to make an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a field and came to rest, bursting into flames. All occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.