Georgia | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Georgia and the Director of the Airport of Tbilisi departed Tbilisi that day on a P-5 to proceed to the north to try to locate a Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40) that was missing since September 23. After takeoff, the airplane entered clouds and after few minutes, the pilot was able to climb and to continue over the cloud layer. Nevertheless, all surrounding mountains were shrouded in clouds so the pilot decided to return to Tbilisi. While descending through clouds, the pilot lost control of the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed in a wooded area near the airport. Both occupants were seriously injured.

Probable cause:

The crew failed to check the weather conditions prior to departure.

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

Date & Time: Sep 23, 1938 at 0515 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41/SB 2)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L2446

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Tbilisi – Rostov-on-Don – Moscow

MSN:

8/95

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Total fatalities:

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.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 on Mt Kazbek: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 22, 1935 at 1520 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1734

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Postal (mail)

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Mineralnye Vody – Tiflis

MSN:

9502

YOM:

1935

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

184

Aircraft flight cycles:

143

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Mineralnye Vody on a mail flight to Tiflis, Georgia, with two crew members on board. After passing the Krestovy Pass, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. The pilot elected to return to Mineralnye Vody and initiated a turn. Shortly later, he lost his orientation and thinking he already passed the highest mountain, he initiated the descent when the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain part of the Mt Kazbek, about 7 km southeast of the summit (5,047 metres). The wreckage was found at an altitude of 4,000 metres and both crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain after the pilot got lost while cruising in reduced visibility due to foggy conditions and rain.

Crash of a Dornier Do B Merkur in Sukhumi: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 12, 1929 at 1347 LT

Type of aircraft:

Dornier Do B Merkur

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-211

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Sukhumi - Kharkiv

MSN:

100

YOM:

1926

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

675

Circumstances:

Last July 14, the aircraft suffered an incident while taking off from Sukhumi Airport after the undercarriage impacted a fence. The airplane was repaired and a series of test was completed before the aircraft would be released for service. At 1337LT, the crew departed Sukhumi Airport on a positioning flight to Kharkiv but encountered engine problems shortly after takeoff. The captain decided to return but on short final, at a height of 80 metres, he initiated a go-around when the aircraft stalled and crashed in a street located about 350 metres from the runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the airplane stalled from a height of about 80 metres while making a sharp turn at low speed. It is believed that the engine partially failed after takeoff, probably because the radiator was not properly repaired.

Crash of a Kalinin K-4 off Sukhumi: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1929

Type of aircraft:

Kalinin K-4

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-219

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Sukhumi – Kharkiv

MSN:

110

YOM:

1929

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff, during initial climb, one of the engine failed. The crew decided to return to Sukhumi and while completing a last turn, he lost control of the airplane that stalled and crashed in the sea. Both crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure during initial climb.

Crash of a Junkers F.13 in Tbilissi: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1925

Type of aircraft:

Junkers F.13

Operator:

Zakavia

Registration:

RR-ECA

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Tbilisi - Sukhumi

MSN:

590

YOM:

1920

Location:

Tbilisi

Tbilisi City District

Country:

Georgia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after take off from Tbilisi Airport, the single engine aircraft went out of control and crashed, bursting into flames. All five occupants were killed, among them three official of the Georgian Government en route to a Soviet Congress in Sukhumi.