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Crash of a Tupolev PS-41bis in Oktyabrskaya: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 13, 1941 at 1505 LT
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3505
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Leningrad - Moscow
MSN:
2/300
YOM:
1940
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
260
Circumstances:
Prior to takeoff from Leningrad, the pilot was informed about weather conditions and instructed to fly not above 600 metres. The airplane departed Leningrad Airport at 1320LT on a mail flight to Moscow with two crew members on board. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot was forced to return due to an oil leak on the right tank. After repairs, the airplane took off again at 1435LT. The pilot continued at an altitude of 500-600 metres when the airplane entered clouds. Due to turbulence, the pilot decided to climb until 2,500 metres then 3,000 metres. Later, while descending, the airplane' speed increased from 270 km/h to 400 km/h and it became unstable. The flight engineer has been shaken from left to right and tried to get a radio contact with the pilot. As this was unsuccessful, he abandoned the airplane and bailed out. He was later found uninjured. The airplane continued its descent and the pilot also attempted to bail out but this was too late. His parachute failed to open in time and he was killed. The airplane crashed in a wooded area located in Oktyabrskaya, some 100 km east of Leningrad and was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Lack of discipline on part of the pilot who disregarded the instructions related to the max altitude to respect and his decision to fly against the published procedures.

Crash of a Tupolev PS-41 in Trostyanka

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1941
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3530
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moscow – Kuybyshev – Almaty
MSN:
3/215
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Kyubyshev to Almaty, the crew encountered technical problems and attempted an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a pasture located in Trostyanka, about 70 km east of Kuybyshev. The crew was uninjured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Tupolev PS-41 in Kuybyshev

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1941
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3522
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moscow – Kuybyshev – Almaty
MSN:
15/234
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a mail flight from Moscow to Almaty. En route, weather deteriorated with icing conditions, causing the windshield to be covered by ice and frost. To land at Kuybyshev Airport, the pilot was forced to put his head out of the cockpit, but doing so, he missed the runway. After touchdown, the airplane skidded off runway and came to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Tupolev PS-41 in Novoe Selo: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1940 at 1600 LT
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3523
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Rostov-on-Don – Sochi – Sukhumi – Kutaisi – Tbilisi
MSN:
16/214
YOM:
1938
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
64
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Rostov Airport at 1500LT on a mail flight to Tbilisi with intermediate stops in Sochi, Sukhumi and Kutaisi. About 50 minutes into the flight, while cruising in stormy weather, the pilot lost control of the airplane that entered a dive, partially disintegrated in the air and crashed in a field at a speed of 600-700 km/h. Both crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the crew lost control of the airplane after it was struck by lightning. For unknown reasons, the crew decided to continue the flight into poor weather conditions rather than returning to Rostov.

Crash of a Tupolev PS-41 near Voronezh: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 16, 1940 at 1755 LT
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-T3518
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Stalingrad – Moscou
MSN:
11/214
YOM:
1938
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
168
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Stalingrad at 1647LT on a mail flight to Moscow, carrying three crew members and a load of 113 kg of mail. After takeoff, the airplane entered clouds and continued his course to the northwest. After flying a distance of about 350 km, while cruising at an altitude of 4,000 metres in clouds, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a field at a speed of 750-800 km/h. All three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Due to the high degree of destruction, investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. Nevertheless, it is believed that the loss of control was probably the consequence of icing while cruising at high altitude in clouds, causing a malfunction of the instruments.

Crash of a Tupolev PS-41 in Sinegubovo: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 26, 1940 at 0708 LT
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3529
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Moscow – Kharkiv – Mineralnye Vody
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Moscow at 0605LT on a cargo flight to Mineralnye Vody with an intermediate stop in Kharkiv, carrying three crew members. The pilot continued at an altitude of 300 metres and at a speed of 290 km/h when weather conditions deteriorated with low clouds and rain falls. Without any radio contact with the ground to obtain a weather briefing, the crew continued to the south and passed over Tula at 0653LT. Shortly later, the crew encountered foggy conditions and was unable to locate his position so the captain decided to return. Flying to low in fog, the airplane impacted trees at a speed of 220 km/h and crashed into a ravine. All three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain after the decision of the pilot to continue in poor visibility. His decision to return was taken too late and he was flying at an unsafe altitude. At the time of the accident, one of the engine was not functioning for reason that could not be determined, the propeller was windmilling at impact. Nevertheless, this was not considered was a contributing factor.

Crash of a Tupolev ANT-40 near Arkhangelsk: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1939 at 0922 LT
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft disappeared in the region of Arkhangelsk while completing a mission with four crew members on board. SAR failed to find any trace of the aircraft nor the crew. The wreckage was eventually found by walkers in early 90's in an isolated area.

Crash of a Tupolev ANT-40 near Birakan: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 20, 1939
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L2460
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
18/J
YOM:
1938
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 5,000 metres, the airplane entered an area of cumulonimbus. Due to severe atmospheric turbulences, the airplane became uncontrollable and started to lose altitude. The captain ordered his crew to bail out and abandoned the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed in the taiga near Birakan. The pilot was found alive but both other crew members were killed as they did not bail out.

Crash of a Tupolev ANT-40 near Napareuli: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 23, 1938 at 0515 LT
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L2446
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Tbilisi – Rostov-on-Don – Moscow
MSN:
8/95
YOM:
1938
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Tbilisi at 0442LT on a cargo flight to Moscow with an intermediate stop in Rostov with three crew members on board. 33 minutes into the flight, radio contact was lost after the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located 22 km north-northeast of Napareuli. As the airplane failed to arrive in Rostov, SAR operations were initiated. On 28 October 1938, the wreckage was found by two locals in a ravine. All three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
The direct cause of the accident was the pilot's violation of §53 of the Flight Manual (leaving the route). According to the conclusion of the Main Inspectorate of ATC, the main cause of the crash was Aeroflot's insistence on a one-day flight, which the Head of the Georgian ATC did not protest, not taking into account the time of year and overestimating the qualities of the pilot, who had insufficient training on this type of aircraft. The responsable of the accident is the Head of the Main Directorate of Civil Aviation, who organized the unnecessary high-speed flight and committed a number of violations of the Flight Manual. Another person responsible for the crash was the head of the Georgian Air Traffic Control Directorate, who had released the plane in unstable weather conditions and had no radio navigation equipment on the route. The detection of the aircraft near Telovo can be attributed to wind drift in the absence of radio navigation facilities, rather than being deliberate.