Crash of a Tupolev TU-134A in Liepaja: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1979 at 0057 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-65031
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Omsk - Gorki - Liepaja
MSN:
48530
YOM:
1976
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
5838
Aircraft flight cycles:
3894
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Omsk on a cargo flight to Liepaja with an intermediate stop in Gorki, carrying a crew of five and a load of eight tons of radio station's components. The aircraft, not configured for cargo with no cargo door and no cargo compartment, was loaded with light components in the rear part of the cabin and heavy parts in the front of the cabin. There were no passengers on board. The crew initiated the descent to Liepaja by night and poor weather conditions with a limited visibility to 900 meters (below airport minima) with mixed rain and snow falls. On approach, at an altitude of 310 meters and at a speed of 265 km/h, flaps were lowered and the aircraft became unstable on its roll and pitch axis. At an altitude of 180 meters, the autopilot was disconnected then the aircraft deviated to the right of the approach path. While trying to establish a visual contact with the runway, the pilot-in-command initiated a slight turn to the left when the airplane adopted an excessive rate of descent of 8 meters per second until it struck tree tops located 1,690 meters short of runway threshold. The airplane stalled then struck the embankment of a railroad and eventually crashed in flames in a snow covered field located 155 meters to the right of the extended runway centerline. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. A crew member was seriously injured while four other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew decided to continue the approach in poor weather conditions with a visibility below airport minimums and an unstable aircraft. While trying to establish a visual contact with the ground, the crew let the airplane descending with an excessive rate of eight meters per second and failed to take appropriate actions to initiate a go-around maneuver. It was also determined that the flight was poorly planned and prepared by the crew and the operator. The airplane was not suitable for such cargo operation, the cargo has not been weighed prior to the flight and no weight and balance documentation was issued. The total weight of the aircraft was 752 kg above the maximum allowed weight and the CofG was too far forward, out of the enveloppe, which contributed to an unstable aircraft on final approach.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Gorki: 20 killed

Date & Time: May 24, 1962 at 1853 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-54997
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Magnitogorsk – Ufa – Kazan – Gorki – Moscow
MSN:
23443509
YOM:
1953
Flight number:
SU056
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
20
Aircraft flight hours:
14427
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Gorki-Strigino Airport, while climbing to a height of 140-150 meters, the left engine failed. The crew was unable to feather the propeller and the captain elected to make an emergency landing when he was forced to make a sharp turn to the left to avoid obstacles (building and factory's chimney) when the airplane banked left, causing the left wing tip to struck the ground. The airplane crashed in flames in a field located in Bolchoye Doskino, some 7 km southwest of the airport. A passenger was slightly injured while all 20 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left engine during initial climb for undetermined reason, maybe due to a carburetor issue.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14M in Chernovo: 14 killed

Date & Time: Dec 4, 1960 at 2253 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-52091
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Syktyvkar – Gorki – Moscow
MSN:
7 34 29 05
YOM:
12
Flight number:
SU081
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Aircraft flight hours:
6163
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Syktyvkar Airport at 2228LT on a flight to Moscow via Gorki and the crew received the permission to climb to 3,000 meters. 18 minutes later, the crew reported icing conditions and received the permission to climb to 3,600 meters. Three minutes later, at 2249LT, the crew reported that the right engine caught fire and requested the permission to divert to the nearest airport. Apparently, the crew was unable to extinguish the fire and the captain completed a rapid descent. After passing the last cloud layer, at an altitude of 100-150 meters, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames in a field located 500 meters from the village of Chernovo, some 134 km northeast of Gorki Airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed upon impact and all 14 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the cylinders and pistons on the right engine in flight which caused a fuel and hydraulic leak. Both fluids caught fire when contacted high temperature equipment of the engine. The right engine totalized 1,164 hours and 390 hours since last overhaul.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Moscow: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 13, 1955 at 1130 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L5000
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Moscou – Gorki – Sverdlovsk
MSN:
334 449 02
YOM:
1953
Flight number:
SU031
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Aircraft flight hours:
2188
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Bykovo Airport, while climbing to a height of 20-30 meters, the right engine failed. The aircraft lost height, collided with trees and eventually crashed onto a house located less than one km from the airfield. The airplane burst into flames and was totally destroyed as well as the house. All five crew members were killed while no one on the ground was injured. The owner of the house just left his house three minutes before the accident. The crew was completing a mail flight to Svedlovsk with an intermediate stop in Gorki, carrying a load of 1,989 kilos of mail and newspapers.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the failure of the right engine was caused by an act of sabotage. A nut was found in the fuel line which caused the fuel pump to fail during initial climb. A similar case was detected eight days prior to the crash.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52 in Russia

Date & Time: Jun 15, 1944 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-I354
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Schedule:
Ufa - Gorki
MSN:
7120
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed somewhere in Russia in June 1944 (exact date unknown). Occupant fate unknown as well.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Gorki: 6 killed

Date & Time: Feb 12, 1944 at 1202 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4068
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Gorki – Kuybyshev
MSN:
184 114 05
YOM:
15
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Aircraft flight hours:
107
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff, while climbing to a height of 40 meters, the aircraft stalled, banked right and crashed in a huge explosion 200 meters from the boundary fence. All six occupants were killed. The aircraft was performing a cargo flight to Kuybyshev carrying a load of various goods consisting of studs, cord and gloves.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew failed to prepare the flight properly and did not follow the pre-departure checklist. Thus, the crew did not realize that the elevator trim tabs were not set to neutral prior to takeoff and after rotation, were positioned to a positive angle of 12°, causing the aircraft to nose up and stall.