Crash of an Ilyushin II-14P in Stalingrad: 25 killed

Date & Time: Jan 18, 1959 at 0333 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-41863
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Moscow – Voronezh – Stalingrad – Baku
MSN:
1460 007 01
YOM:
28
Flight number:
SU205
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
25
Aircraft flight hours:
3922
Circumstances:
On final approach to Stalingrad-Gumrak Airport by night, while at an altitude of 400 meters, the airplane went out of control, banked right and crashed at a speed of 300 km/h in a snow covered field located 5 km from the runway 24 threshold. The aircraft was totally destroyed upon impact but there was no fire. All 25 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, the assumption that the aircraft may have been mistakenly shot down was not ruled out. Five round holes of a diameter of 10 mm and 35 mm where found in the flight deck. Also, various metallic fragments foreign to the structure of the aircraft were found above the captain's head as well as in his left thigh. It is believed that arms being fired from a military training facility beneath the approach path.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14 in Stalingrad: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 7, 1958 at 2242 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L2096
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Voronezh – Stalingrad
MSN:
7 34 29 07
YOM:
21
Flight number:
SU213
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
19
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
2336
Circumstances:
The approach to Stalingrad Airport was completed by night and poor weather conditions with snow falls and fog. On final, at an altitude of 200 meters, as the pilot-in-command failed to establish a visual contact with the runway lights, he decided to abandon the approach and made a go around. ATC advised the crew to divert to Rostov or Voronezh but the captain obtained the permission to attempt a second approach. On final, in poor visibility, he was again unable to establish a visual contact with the runway lights but continued the approach when the copilot asked for a new go around procedure. In the mean time, the airplane struck tree tops, rolled to the right and crashed in a field located one km short of runway threshold. The flight mechanic was killed while all other occupants were rescued, some of them were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration and poor techniques on part of the pilot-in-command who decided to continue the approach without visual contact with the runway lights. He also led the airplane passing below the minimum descend altitude without visual contact with the ground and in below-minima weather conditions.

Crash of an Antonov AN-10 near Voronezh: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 29, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L7256
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Voronezh - Voronezh
MSN:
8 4 001 02
YOM:
1958
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local test flight on this AN-10 prototype. Shortly after takeoff from Voronezh Airport, while climbing to a height of 500 meters, the engine number one failed. The power of the engine number four was immediately pull back to 40% of its nominal value to avoid any asymmetrical thrust. Few seconds later, the engine number three failed, so the same procedure was performed with the engine number two. Unable to maintain a safe altitude, the captain decided to attempt an emergency landing when the airplane struck the bank of a river and crashed. The mechanic was killed while four other crew members were injured, two of them seriously.
Probable cause:
Failure of the engine number one due to an overheating caused by an excessive use.

Ground accident of a Lisunov LI-2 in Voronezh

Date & Time: Jul 4, 1956 at 1321 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4869
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Mineralnye Vody – Rostov-on-Don – Voronezh – Moscow
MSN:
184 355 04
YOM:
1953
Flight number:
SU256
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
8146
Circumstances:
After touchdown at Voronezh Airport, the crew completed the braking procedure and vacated the runway for the taxiway when an explosion occurred in the right engine that caught fire. In the mean time, the right main gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest in flames ont its belly. All occupants (four crew members and an undetermined number of passengers) evacuated safely while the airplane was partially destroyed by fire and declared as written off.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the right main gear rolled on a location of the taxiway that 'housed' three TM-35 anti-tank mines from the Second World War that were buried at an estimated depth of 1, 6 to 1.8 meter. The pressure of the right main landing gear on the earth separating the taxiway surface and the mines triggered the detonator, followed by the explosion of three mines.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14 in Voronezh: 25 killed

Date & Time: Aug 6, 1955 at 1518 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L5057
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Stalingrad – Moscow-Vnukovo
MSN:
4 34 04 08
YOM:
1954
Flight number:
SU214
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
25
Aircraft flight hours:
824
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing a flight from Stalingrad to Moscow-Vnukovo, carrying a crew of five and 20 passengers, among them 10 citizens (women) from Norway who met antifascist people in Stalingrad and were flying back to Moscow. While cruising at an altitude of 2,200 meters in clouds, the crew informed ATC about the failure of the right engine and obtained the permission to divert to Voronezh Airport for an emergency landing. Shortly later, the right engine caught fire and while descending to an altitude of 900 meters, the right wing failed, causing the aircraft to dive into the ground and to crash about 4 km from the runway threshold. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 25 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the right engine was brand new and totalized 250 hours only. Despite this, the engine already suffered cracks and defaults. Investigations reported that a fuel leak occurred on the right engine enroute. Due to lack of oil, the engine overheated, caught fire and eventually exploded. The fire spread to its nacelle and then to the right wing that broke off few minutes later.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Stalingrad: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1952 at 0222 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4315
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moscow – Voronezh – Stalingrad – Baku
MSN:
184 274 10
YOM:
29
Flight number:
SU203
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
4736
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a cargo flight from Moscow to Baku with intermediate stops in Voronezh and Stalingrad, carrying a load of 1,793 kilos of various goods consisting of 517 kilos of brass sheets and mail. The approach to Stalingrad Airport was completed by night and marginal weather conditions. On final, while at a height of about 250 meters some 2,300 meters short of runway, the aircraft lost altitude and then stalled and crashed in a snow covered field, about 60 meters to the right of the center line. The aircraft broke in two and the radio operator was seriously injured while three other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the young copilot was seated on the left seat while the captain was seated on the right seat at the time of the accident, which was against all regulations and company procedures as the captain did not have sufficient experience to complete a night approach in such configuration. Investigations revealed that the stall was caused by an insufficient approach speed due to an inadequate approach configuration on part of the crew who failed to monitor their instruments properly, especially the speed indicator. The following factors were considered as contributory:
- Lack of coordination during final approach,
- Negligence,
- Lack of discipline,
- Wrong approach configuration,
- Poor flight preparation.

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

Date & Time: Nov 5, 1946 at 1807 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4181
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Achkhabad – Voronezh – Moscow
MSN:
184 200 06
YOM:
1945
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Aircraft flight hours:
1517
Circumstances:
The flight from Voronezh to Moscow-Vnukovo was cancelled due to poor weather in Voronezh. Eventually, the crew left Voronezh two days later on a ferry flight to Moscow. On approach, weather conditions were poor and the crew was forced to stack over the area. More than two hours later, the crew informed ATC that he was short of fuel and requested an immediate landing when the aircraft crashed in Yamshchina, about 12 km northwest of Vnukovo Airfield. All five crew members were killed. At the time of the accident, 17 other aircraft were stacking in the area and awaiting for weather improvement to land in Vnukovo Airport.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Ilyushin DB-3F in Voronezh: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1942 at 1700 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
7613
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Voronezh Airport, while climbing to a height of 70-75 metres, the airplane entered a high nose attitude, stalled and rolled to the right. Out of control, it descended to the ground and crashed near the runway end. Both crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control during initial climb after the pilot failed to position the elevator trim tab in a correct position for takeoff.

Crash of a Yakovlev AIR-6 in Voronezh: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 18, 1941 at 1300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L2775
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Urazovo - Voronezh
MSN:
7756
YOM:
1934
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
1262
Circumstances:
The airplane was approaching Voronezh from a flight from Urazovo, carrying one pilot and one engineer from the southwest front. Over the city, it collided with the cable of a barrage balloon and crashed in the Voronezh River. Both occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control following an in-flight collision with the cable of a barrage balloon.

Crash of a GVF PS-84 in Akchernskiy: 14 killed

Date & Time: Nov 14, 1941 at 1735 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3488
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Voronezh – Uryupinsk
MSN:
184 11 05
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Aircraft flight hours:
455
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Voronezh at 1610LT bound for Uryupinsk, carrying six crew members, eight passengers and a load of 1,100 kilos of leaflets that should be dropped beyond the enemy line. The estimated time of arrival in Uryupinsk was 1655LT, 13 minutes before dusk. While approaching Uryupinsk, the crew encountered light snow falls with a visibility of 2 km and a ceiling between 300 and 600 metres. As the crew missed the airport, the airplane deviated from the prescribed path and continued to the south. Eventually, the pilot attempted to land at night in a field when the airplane crashed two km south of Akchernskiy, some 20 km south of Uryupinsk, bursting into flames. The airplane was totally destroyed and all 14 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew failed to use the radionavigation system (especially a long waves radio compas) at their disposition and for unknown reason, the pilot continued the flight at an insufficient height. Poor piloting techniques, lack of discipline and successive mistakes on part of the crew were considered as contributing factors.