Crash of an Antonov AN-26B in Magadan

Date & Time: Jan 3, 2015 at 1119 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-26082
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky – Magadan – Mirny – Nizhnevartovsk
MSN:
117 05
YOM:
1981
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
3783
Captain / Total hours on type:
2240.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
11986
Copilot / Total hours on type:
94
Aircraft flight hours:
13698
Aircraft flight cycles:
6810
Circumstances:
During the take off run, at a speed of 250 km/h, the crew initiated the rotation when the aircraft failed to lift off. The captain decided to abandon the take off and started an emergency braking. The aircraft veered off runway to the right, went through a snow covered terrain, lost its nose and right main gear before coming to rest 490 meters further, with the right wing bent. The aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair while all eight occupants were unhurt.
Probable cause:
The accident occurred as result of the aircraft departing the side of the runway after the commander rejected takeoff after having been unable to use the elevator because of the yoke's locked position. The roll beyond the edge of the runway was likely caused by the flight engineer while attempting to operate the handle to release the flight controls lock while the aircraft was already accelerating for takeoff. The accident was thus caused by this combination of factors:
- violation of requirements by FCOM to ascertain the flight controls were free and usable before engine start,
- failure by the crew to execute the checklists to check elevator, rudder and ailerons were free to move before takeoff,
- flight crew receives insufficient practice in real flight to maintain skills acquired during simulator training in the management of the aircraft and its systems resulting in negative impact during emergency situations.
Final Report:

Crash of an Ilyushin II-76MD in Mirny: 11 killed

Date & Time: Nov 1, 2009 at 0849 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
RF-76801
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Mirny – Irkutsk – Chita
MSN:
00934 95866
YOM:
1989
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft departed Mirny on a positioning flight to Chita with an intermediate stop in Irkutsk, carrying four passengers and a crew of seven on behalf of the Russian Ministry of the Interior. Shortly after takeoff by night, the aircraft rolled to the right to an angle of 90° then crashed at a speed of 364 km/h some 1,893 metres past the runway end. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 11 occupants were killed. The accident occurred 59 seconds after takeoff.
Probable cause:
The day before the accident, the aircraft arrived in Mirny following a cargo flight, delivering various goods. After landing, the crew activated the electrical locking system for the rudder and the ailerons, and the 'lock on' light came on in the cockpit panel. In the morning of the accident, prior to takeoff, the crew followed the pre-takeoff checklist and deactivated the electrical locking system, but the 'lock on' light remained illuminated. Considering this as a false alarm, the captain decided to take off and proceeded with a manuel control of the ailerons. The left aileron moved normally while the right aileron got locked because of the locking mechanism. During the takeoff roll, because the four engine were not in full power mode, there was no sound alarm about the aileron locked mechanism. The aircraft deviated to the right and after lift off, it rolled to the right to angle of 8°. The pilot-in-command elected to counteract the banking but this maneuver was limited due to the right aileron locked mechanism. The aircraft continued to roll to the right to an angle of 90° until control was lost.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12B in Krasnoyarsk: 13 killed

Date & Time: Nov 11, 1998 at 1122 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-12955
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Novosibirsk - Krasnoyarsk - Mirny
MSN:
8 3 455 06
YOM:
1968
Flight number:
YR9301
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Novosibirsk to MIrny with an intermediate stop in Krasnoyarsk, carrying six passengers, seven crew members and a load of 13,380 kilos of various goods consisting of food, tobacco, clothing and footwear. Weather conditions were marginal with snow falls and icing conditions. During the takeoff roll, after a course of 2,400 metres, the pilot-in-command started the rotation at a speed of 280 km/h. After liftoff, the aircraft started to roll left and right but the crew was able to continue to climb with a rate of about 4 metres per second. During initial climb, at a height of 150 metres and at a speed of 330 km/h, the crew raised the flaps. At this time, the aircraft started to lose height, entered an uncontrolled descent, collided with trees and crashed in a wooded area located 5 km from the airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 13 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control during initial climb after the crew raised the flaps due to the presence of severe icing conditions which impaired the controllability of the aircraft and its aerodynamic characteristics. The short distance between the aircraft and the ground did not allow the crew to expect recovery.

Crash of an Antonov AN-74-200 in Mirny

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1996 at 2357 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
RA-74037
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Mirny - Irkutsk
MSN:
470 98 950
YOM:
1995
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
369
Aircraft flight cycles:
176
Circumstances:
Just after liftoff from Mirny Airport, while in initial climb, the reverse thrust system deployed on the right engine. The aircraft banked right, causing the right wing tip to struck the runway surface. Out of control, the aircraft crash landed, veered off runway and came to rest against a building. All 12 occupants escaped with minor injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the reverse thrust system on the right engine accidentally deployed after takeoff due to a mechanical failure of unknown origin. Nevertheless, investigations confirmed that a warning light came on in the cockpit prior to departure but the crew failed to identify this warning because he did not follow the pre-departure checklist.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14M in Philippi Glacier: 6 killed

Date & Time: Feb 17, 1986 at 0710 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-41816
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Molodezhnaya - Mirny
MSN:
1470 016 03
YOM:
1957
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Aircraft flight hours:
32094
Aircraft flight cycles:
18078
Circumstances:
En route from Molodezhnaya Ice Station to the Mirny Ice Station (distance 2,020 km), the crew encountered icing conditions and reduced his altitude to 1,500 meters when strong headwinds were met (up to 140 km/h). This caused the speed to drop and the fuel consumption to increase. Due to fuel shortage, the crew attempted an emergency landing on the Philippi Glacier located 240 km west of the Mirny Ice Station (at S66.833 E88.00). But in whiteout conditions, the aircraft crashed into the surface of the glacier and was completely destroyed. All six occupants were killed. The wreckage was found few days later.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion due to strong headwind and emergency landing in whiteout conditions.

Crash of an Antonov AN-10 in Mirny

Date & Time: Oct 12, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-11169
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Irkutsk - Mirny
MSN:
9 4 015 01
YOM:
1959
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing on a snow covered runway at Mirny Airport, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and collided with a trench. There were no injuries among the occupant but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The thickness of the snow was 1-2 cm and the crew was not aware of the presence of trench by the runway.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12TB in Mirny

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-11380
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
4 026 10
YOM:
1964
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On touchdown at Mirny Airport, the right main gear collapsed. The airplane went out of control, veered off runway to the right and came to rest. All six crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged repair.

Crash of an Antonov AN-12 in Lensk: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 2, 1968 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-11349
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Ust-Kut - Mirny
MSN:
4 018 05
YOM:
1964
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Ust-Kut Airport on a cargo flight to Mirny, carrying a load of 18 tons of cement. Few minutes after takeoff, the crew was informed that a landing at Mirny Airport was impossible due to technical problems and the captain decided, without referring to his operations, to divert to Lensk Airport where the weather conditions were considered as poor. At that time, the sky was overcast with clouds down to 600 meters, an horizontal visibility of 2,500 meters with rain and snow. The flight was continued at an altitude of 8,000 meters then the crew was cleared to descent to 3,000 meters and to start the approach to Lensk. On final, the pilot-in-command failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane struck tall trees (20 meters high) in a flat attitude, continued the descent and crashed 420 meters further in a wooded area. The wreckage was found 15,6 km short of runway threshold. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all six crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of a premature descent and a controlled flight into terrain for undetermined reason. Nevertheless, the assumption that an engine may have failed on approach was not ruled out. At the time of the accident, Lensk Airport was not equipped with an ILS system or any kind of ground guidance assistance system.

Crash of an Antonov AN-10A in Mirnyy

Date & Time: Aug 8, 1968
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-11172
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Irkutsk – Mirny
MSN:
9 4 016 02
YOM:
1959
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Mirny Airport, the crew lowered the undercarriage when the left main gear detached and fell away. The captain decided to attempt an emergency landing in a wasteland. After touchdown, the aircraft banked left, causing the left wing tip to struck the ground and to be torn off, as well as a part of the engine number one. The aircraft slid for several yards before coming to rest. While all occupants escaped uninjured, the aircraft was written off.
Probable cause:
It was determined that a day prior to the accident, another crew who performed a flight from Yakutsk to Irkutsk failed to report a hard landing at Irkutsk Airport. Investigations revealed that the structure of the left main gear was damaged following this hard landing.