Region
Asia

Crash of a Polikarpov U-2 near Novy Oskol: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 19, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Polikarpov Po-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-P115
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Novy Oskol - Oboyan
MSN:
107
YOM:
1941
Location:
Novy Oskol
Belgorod oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot failed to return to base following an operation between Novy Oskol and Oboyan. Lost without trace.

Crash of a GVF PS-84 near Kursk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 15, 1943
Type of aircraft:
GVF PS-84
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L4019
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Ambulance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Kursk
Kursk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Shot down by a German fighter and crash landed 15 km from Kursk. A paramedic was killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-4 near Murmansk: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.88
Operator:
Registration:
4D+IB
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
2298
Location:
Murmansk
Murmansk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Shot down by the Soviet Flan and crashed near Murmansk. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Oblt Helmut Lützow, pilot,
Ofw Ludwig Kolb, radio operator,
Uffz Edmund Miehstein, air gunner.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-2 near Demyansk: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev TU-2
Operator:
Registration:
100707
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Demyansk
Novgorod oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While on a reconnaissance mission, the airplane was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Demyansk. Three crew members were killed and one parachuted to safety. The wreckage was discovered in 2015.
Crew:
Maj Valerian Fedorovich Stolyarov, pilot, †
S/Lt Alim Sultanovich Khabeev, navigator,
Sgt Mark Moiseevich Bashuk, radio operator, †
S/Maj Nikolay Ivanovich Bochkov, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Kochyerigin PS-43 in Kotchetovskaya: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1943 at 1440 LT
Type of aircraft:
Kochyerigin PS-43
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3003
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Myachkovo – Borisoglebsk – Morozovsk – Rostov – Krasnodar
MSN:
503
YOM:
1939
Location:
Kochetovskaya
Rostov oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Myachkovo Airport on a mail flight to Krasnodar with intermediate stops in Borisoglebsk, Morozovsk and Rostov-on-Don. On board were four crew members, one passenger and a load of 174 kilos of military mail. While cruising along the Don River and approaching a lock in Kotchetovskaya at a height of 25-30 metres, the airplane collided with a guyed mast that severed the left wing. Out of control, the airplane entered a dive and crashed 1,5400 metres from the point of impact, bursting into flames. All five occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Failure on part of the pilot to see and avoid a guyed mast while cruising at an insufficient altitude. Cruising facing the sun was a contributing factor.

Crash of a Polikarpov SP in Kholmskaya

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1943 at 1050 LT
Type of aircraft:
Polikarpov Po-2
Operator:
Registration:
2637
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Supply
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Kholmskaya - Gelendzhik
MSN:
12954
YOM:
1938
Location:
Kholmskaya
Krasnodar Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Kholmskaya on a supply mission to Gelendzhik, carrying ammunition. 2-3 minutes after takeoff, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into a ravine. The pilot was injured.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Polikarpov U-2 in Kholmskaya: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1943 at 1050 LT
Type of aircraft:
Polikarpov Po-2
Operator:
Registration:
179
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Supply
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Kholmskaya - Gelendzhik
MSN:
172
YOM:
1941
Location:
Kholmskaya
Krasnodar Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Kholmskaya on a supply mission to Gelendzhik, carrying ammunition. 2-3 minutes after takeoff, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed. The pilot was killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a GVF PS-84 in Ushakovo

Date & Time: Mar 6, 1943
Type of aircraft:
GVF PS-84
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3924
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
184 13 01
YOM:
1941
Location:
Ushakovo
Kursk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Engaged in a transport flight on behalf of the 1st Airborne Division, the airplane was carrying seven crew members. While cruising northeast of Kurk, it was attacked by two German fighters and caught fire. The pilot reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing. The airplane belly landed in a field located in Ushakovo and came to rest, bursting into flames. Four crew members were injured, two seriously.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a GVF PS-84 in Berdigestyakh: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1943 at 0520 LT
Type of aircraft:
GVF PS-84
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3913
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Yakutsk – Olyokminsk
MSN:
184 12 04
YOM:
1941
Location:
Berdigestyakh
Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
On a flight from Yakutsk to Olyokminsk, while cruising at a height of some 150 metres, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy snowfalls. Shortly later, both engines lost power and the aircraft lost height, hit trees and crashed in a wooded area located near the village of Berdigestyakh. Three crew members were killed, another crew member and one passenger were injured while six other passengers were unhurt. One of them walked away to find help. Eleven days later, rescuers arrived on scene to evacuate the seven other survivors.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the dual engine failure could not be determined with certainty. However, it is believed it was caused by the fact that the carburetor failed due to icing, or the crew (captain or flight engineer) failed to activate the carburetor heating system. It was also reported that the decision of the captain to fly at low altitude was wrong and, at the time of the accident, the flight engineer was intoxicated.
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