Country
code

Republic of Komi

Crash of a Boeing 737-524 in Usinsk

Date & Time: Feb 9, 2020 at 1227 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VQ-BPS
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moscow - Usinsk
MSN:
28909/2960
YOM:
1997
Flight number:
UT595
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
94
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
17852
Captain / Total hours on type:
7672.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
6595
Copilot / Total hours on type:
4989
Aircraft flight hours:
57410
Aircraft flight cycles:
29162
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Moscow-Vnukovo Airport, the crew initiated the descent to Usinsk Airport Runway 13. On short final, the aircraft hit a snow bank (1,1 metre high) located 32 metres short of runway threshold, still on the concrete zone. Upon impact, both main gears were torn off and the airplane belly landed and slid for few hundred metres before coming to rest. All 100 occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The accident with the Boeing 737-500 VQ-BPS aircraft occurred during the landing as a result of a collision of the aircraft with a snow parapet 1.1 m high at a distance of 32 m to the runway threshold (within the paved section of the runway), which resulted in damage to the main landing gear and their subsequent "folding" in the process of moving along the runway.
The accident was caused by a combination of the following factors:
- the presence of contradictions in the Federal Aviation Rules for flights in the airspace of the Russian Federation, the airline's radio control system and the aircraft operational documentation regarding the need and procedure for introducing temperature corrections to the readings of barometric altimeters at low ambient temperatures;
- Failure by the operator of the Usinsk aerodrome to comply with the FAP-262 requirements for the maintenance of the aerodrome, which resulted in the presence of snow parapets on the paved section of the landing strip;
- the operator of the Usinsk aerodrome did not eliminate the shortcomings in the winter maintenance of the aerodrome, noted based on the results of the inspection by the Rosaviatsia commission on January 22, 2020;
- lack of risk assessment in the airline associated with the execution of approaches in the baro-VNAV mode in the presence of factors that impede such approaches (low ambient temperatures, snow-covered underlying surface, drifting snow (snowstorm), significant changes in the relief in front of the runway end, lack of PAPI-type lights), as well as appropriate recommendations to the crews on the specifics of such approaches, including after the transition to visual flight, and crew training;
- insufficient assessment by the crew during the preparation of the existing threats (hazard factors) and making an insufficiently substantiated decision to perform an RNAV (GNSS) approach (under the control of the autopilot in LNAV/VNAV mode) without introducing a correction for low outside air temperature in altitude overflying waypoints, which led to a flight below the established glide path;
- performing a flight along the "extended glide path" after turning off the autopilot and switching to manual piloting without attempting to enter the set glide path;
- the PIC may have had a visual illusion of a "high glide path" due to a snow-covered underlying surface, a snowstorm and the presence of a ravine directly in front of the runway end in the absence of PAPI type lights, which led to an incorrect assessment of the aircraft's flight altitude after switching to manual piloting, lack of reaction to timely and correct warnings of the co-pilot and exit to the runway end at a height significantly less than the established one.
Final Report:

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2T in Most Pyssa: 14 killed

Date & Time: Nov 14, 1996 at 1302 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-40309
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Koslan – Vazgort – Puchkoma – Chuprova – Vazgort – Most Pyssa – Koslan
MSN:
1G221-39
YOM:
1986
Flight number:
410
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Circumstances:
While parked at Most Pyssa for a short period of time (a 20 minutes stop), on a flight from Vazgort to Koslan, weather conditions deteriorated with snow falls. The crew failed to remove the snow from the aircraft prior to departure. After takeoff, while climbing, the crew initiated a turn to the left when the aircraft stalled and crashed in a wooded area, bursting into flames. The copilot survived while 14 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The crew decided to takeoff without proceeding to a pre-departure cleaning of the aircraft that was contaminated with snow. At low height and speed, the aircraft stalled during the first turn and crashed.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2TP in Novy Bor

Date & Time: Dec 27, 1995 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-32366
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Novy Bor - Ust-Tsylma
MSN:
1G100-17
YOM:
1968
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Novy Bor Airfield, while climbing to a height of about 10 metres, the aircraft nosed up. The pilot reduced the engine power when the aircraft stalled and crashed on the runway about 150 metres from its end. All 14 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. It was reported that the CofG was well beyond the aft limit.

Crash of an Antonov AN-72 in Vorkuta

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1994
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
RA-72960
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
36572093865
YOM:
1981
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
29
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll at Vorkuta, the left engine suffered a hydraulic failure. The crew lost control of the aircraft that deviated to the left, veered off runway and came to rest, bursting into flames. All 34 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-28 in Ust-Nem: 15 killed

Date & Time: Oct 19, 1992 at 1058 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-28785
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Ust-Nem – Syktyvkar
MSN:
1AJ005-18
YOM:
1988
Flight number:
302
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Aircraft flight hours:
1486
Aircraft flight cycles:
1692
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Ust-Nem Airport, while climbing to a height of about 30 metres, the left engine failed and its propeller autofeathered. After the crew retracted the flaps, the aircraft rolled to the left, adopted a high angle of attack then struck trees and crashed in a wooded area located 500 metres from the runway, bursting into flames. A passenger was injured while 15 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the left engine failed during initial climb after wet snow entered the air intake. The takeoff procedure was completed from a runway covered with slush and wet snow. The following contributing factors were reported:
- The crew retracted the flaps prematurely,
- Lack of crew training on this type of aircraft,
- The distance with ground was insufficient to expect recovery.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2P in Okunevo

Date & Time: Dec 28, 1987
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-02531
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1G121-15
YOM:
1970
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on takeoff while being overloaded. No casualties.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-28 in Ust-Nem

Date & Time: Aug 14, 1987
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-28741
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1AJ003-05
YOM:
1986
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
For unknown reasons, the twin engine aircraft landed hard and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Troitsko-Pechorsk

Date & Time: May 31, 1987
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-70814
Flight Phase:
MSN:
1G133-17
YOM:
1971
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
At takeoff, the engine failed and the aircraft crashed. Occupant fate unknown.
Probable cause:
It was determined that dry grass got stuck in the air intake, causing the engine to fail at takeoff.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-134AK near Vizinga: 54 killed

Date & Time: Jul 2, 1986 at 1027 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-65120
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Vorkuta - Syktyvkar - Moscow
MSN:
60482
YOM:
1978
Flight number:
SU2306
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
86
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
54
Aircraft flight hours:
13988
Aircraft flight cycles:
7989
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Syktyvkar Airport at 0955LT bound for Moscow and continued to climb in normal weather conditions. Twelve minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 5,600 meters, the fire alarm connected to the rear cargo compartment activated in the cockpit. The flight engineer was dispatched to the rear of the cabin to check the situation and came back less than two minutes later, confirming that smoke was spreading. Instead of declaring an emergency and informing ATC about the situation according to published procedures, the captain decided to inspect the rear of the cabin with the flight engineer. They elected to extinguish the fire but this was unfortunately not possible. They returned to the cockpit and in the meantime, the airplane continued to climb to 6,700 meters. The captain contacted ATC, declared an emergency more than 4 minutes after the fire alarm activated and was cleared to return to Syktyvkar. At this time, the aircraft position was about 140 km from Syktyvkar Airport. The captain started an emergency descent and at an altitude of 1,200 meters, flaps and gear were lowered. The crew realized it would not be able to reach Syktyvkar Airport so he attempted an emergency landing on land. In a reduced visibility due to rain falls, the aircraft struck trees, lost its both wings and crashed 340 meters further in a dense wooded area, bursting into flames. Four crew members and 34 passengers were rescued while 54 other occupants were killed. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and fire.
Probable cause:
As the aircraft was completely destroyed by fire, investigations were unable to determine the exact source of fire that started in the rear cargo compartment. It was reported that the crew tried, without success, to extinguish the fire. Also smoke spread in the cabin, asphyxing people that lost consciousness or died before the accident.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2TP in Koslan

Date & Time: Aug 5, 1983
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-91768
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1G38-15
YOM:
1963
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The engine failed in flight, forcing the crew to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in an prairie and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the engine failed due to undetermined fuel problems.