Magadan oblast | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The departure from Magadan Airport was completed in light snow conditions. After liftoff, the aircraft encountered difficulties to gain height and rolled left and right. At an altitude of 60-70 meters, the aircraft stalled and crashed six km from the airfield, about two minutes after takeoff. All five crew members and 17 passengers were killed while 10 others were injured, some of them seriously. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the total weight of the aircraft was 996 kilos above the MTOW. Also, the crew did not prepare the flight properly and failed to remove the wet snow from the aircraft prior to takeoff, which increased weight, reduced performances and lift. The combination of an overloaded and non decontaminated aircraft caused the accident.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 on Mt Nevskaya

Date & Time: Jun 16, 1951 at 1225 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-H986

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Magadan - Seymchan - Omsukchan

MSN:

1 02 473 10

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

332

Circumstances:

The single engine aircraft left Magadan Airport at 0925LT under Visual Flight Rules with good weather conditions. En route, these conditions worsened and it was not possible to reach the crew due to communication issues. The pilot took the decision to cancel the intermediate stop in Seymchan and continued directly to Omsukchan. While the weather conditions became marginal and the visibility dropped, the crew went into a steep valley and dead end. In such conditions, the pilot in command increased power but the aircraft hit trees and crashed on the slope of Mt Nevskaya at an altitude of 1,380 meters. The wreckage was spotted a day later about 40 km southwest of Omsukchan. All eight occupants, among them two children, were evacuated. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The crew took the wrong decision to continue the flight when the weather conditions worsened. The pilot in command decided to cancel the intermediate stop and followed another route without prior permission, flew over a mountainous area without sufficient visual references with the ground, violating so the published procedures.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Seymchan: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 13, 1950 at 1050 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-H955

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Pevek – Zyrianka

MSN:

5908

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

706

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a cargo flight from Pevek to Zyrianka, carrying a crankshaft and others spare parts for an LM-3 locomotive for a total weight of 1,000 kilos. The airplane left Pevek at 0410LT bound for Zyrianka but upon arrival, the crew was informed by ground that the airport was closed to traffic and has to divert to Seymchan Airport. The pilot modified his route to Seymchan but did not receive any information about weather conditions at destination. After continuing at an altitude of 3,300 meters, the crew encountered poor weather upon arrival in Seymchan and was unable to locate the airport. After an unsuccessful attempt to land, the crew continued to the north and was eventually forced to make an emergency landing as the aircraft was short of fuel. The airplane crashed in a rocky canyon located 72 km northwest of Seymchan and was destroyed upon impact. All five crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by the combination of the following factors:
- The visibility was less than 100 meters at the time of the accident due to snow falls,
- The copilot was inexperienced,
- Wrong decision in diverting the aircraft to Seymchan without knowing the weather conditions at destination (uncertain situation),
- The total rest time of the crew was insufficient,
- Lack of assistance by ground services upon arrival in Seymchan,
- Wrong decision on part of the Zyrianka Airport Authorities which decided to close the airfield to all trafic because the runway was flooded. Investigations revealed that this was not the case and this decision was taken in rush. When the aircraft approached Zyrianka, the airfield was practicable with a 1,000 meters long runway.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-45-DK near Magadan: 8 killed

Date & Time: May 22, 1948 at 1840 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1073

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky – Magadan

MSN:

17054/34321

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1691

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky-Yelizovo Airport, the crew started the descent to Magadan in poor weather conditions. During the final approach, at a distance of 13 km from the runway threshold, the captain was unable to locate the runway and decided to descend to 500 meters, the decision altitude. Unable to establish a visual contact with the runway, he decided to abandon the approach, started a go around and diverted to the Seymchan Airport located some 350 km north of Magadan. Few minutes later, while cruising in poor visibility, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Marchekanskaya (707 meters high). A passenger was seriously injured while eight other occupants were killed. It appears the aircraft hit the mountain 70 meters below the summit.

Probable cause:

The accident was the result of a controlled flight into terrain in poor visibility due to low ceiling. It was reported that, at the time of the accident, the person in charge to transmit weather information to the crew and based at the airport of Magadan was intoxicated.

Crash of a Kawasaki Ki-56 near Susuman: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 7, 1946 at 1015 LT

Type of aircraft:

Kawasaki Ki-56

Operator:

Registration:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Ambulance

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Susuman – Zyrianka

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a rescue mission from Susuman to Zyrianka on behalf of the Ministry of Interior (MVD – Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del). Shortly after takeoff, the left engine failed and the pilot increased power on the right engine that failed as well. The crew elected to return to Susuman when the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a snowy field located in Berelyokh, about 10 km from Susuman. The aircraft was destroyed and all 7 occupants were killed. Some repairs were recently performed on the right engine and it appears the aircraft was not tested before the flight.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-5-DL in Magadan: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

09295

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after take off from Magadan Airport, while climbing to a height of 300 meters, the aircraft stalled and crashed on the left bank of the Duksha River. Two crew members and four passengers were killed.

Probable cause:

The trimmer of the horizontal stabilizer had been connected in the wrong way during the repair by the PARM-1 field workshop at Magadan Airport before the flight.