Russia | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed Moscow on a cargo flight to Tbilisi with an intermediate stop in Saratov, carrying three crew members and a load of 545 kilos of spare parts destined to the airplanes of the 8th Civil Fleet based in Tbilisi. En route, weather conditions deteriorated and the visibility was poor due to sudden fog. At a very low height (5-10 metres), the pilot decided to return and initiated a left turn without gaining altitude, causing the airplane to struck the ground and to crash in a 70 cm snow covered field. All three crew members were seriously injured. The navigator died in the evening from injuries sustained.

Probable cause:

The pilot took the late decision to turn back and made an error by flying into a patch of fog. A poor flight preparation on part of the crew was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5L near Ryazan: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 30, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Moscow - Ryazan - Saratov - Kamichyne - Jitkur

MSN:

9078

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Moscow on a special flight to Zhitkur (130 km east northeast of Stalingrad) with intermediate stops in Ryazan, Saratov and Kamichyne. On board were two crew members and one passenger who was in charge of a precious load owned by the Soviet Government. Approaching Ryazan, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with fog and icing. The pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed in a snow covered area located near the Dyagilevo Station. The wreckage was found on 4 January 1943. The airplane was destroyed and all three occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was about 50 metres in fog.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by:
- A sudden deterioration of the weather conditions, which was not predicted by weather forecast (fog, visibility reduced to 50 metres and icing).
- The airplane got iced, which reduced its aerodynamic properties, causing it to stall and crash.
- The pilot failed to return to Moscow when the weather conditions worsened. The instruction to return in case of bad weather was recorded in his weather form.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5L in Marukha

Date & Time: Dec 29, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-T2989

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

6308

YOM:

1933

Location:

Marukha

Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot was performing a supply drop mission over Marukha when the engine failed. The airplane lost height, collided with a tree and crashed. The pilot escaped unhurt.

Probable cause:

Engine failure. Bullet holes were found in the fuel supply line.

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

Date & Time: Dec 28, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

4D+AB

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

140146

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed in Murmansk. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Obrst Alerich Hofmann, pilot,
Obfw Karl Schilze, observer,
Uffz Klaus Oelemann, radio operator,
Fw Karl Prock, air gunner.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3mg8e near Stalingrad: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 26, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

4V+CM

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

7515

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The three engine airplane was shot down by the Soviet Flak and crashed near Stalingrad. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Uffz Fritz Witte, pilot,
Ogfr Helmauth Roseman, radio operator,
Ogfr Albert Müller, mechanic,
Ogfr Hans Kaiser, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the Soviet Flak.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3mg8e in Salsk: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

DM+WP

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

7642

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in Salsk, killing all five crew members.
Crew:
Oblt Wilhelm Schräder, pilot,
Lt Claus Guderian, pilot,
Fw Alfons Wittenbauer, radio operator,
Uffz Heinz Hegenwald, mechanic,
Uffz Heinrich Now, mechanic.

Crash of a GVF PS-84 in Yanaul: 10 killed

Date & Time: Dec 22, 1942 at 1340 LT

Type of aircraft:

GVF PS-84

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L3903

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Moscow – Kazan – Sverdlovsk

MSN:

5 05

YOM:

1941

Location:

Yanaul

Republic of Bashkortostan

Country:

Russia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1954

Circumstances:

On the leg from Kazan to Sverdlovsk, while cruising at an altitude of 400 metres in clouds, the crew encountered severe icing conditions and decided to divert to the Yanaul Airport, in the Republic of Bashkortostan. On final approach, the pilot-in-command initiated a go around procedure for unknown reason. While completing a steep turn at low height, he lost control of the airplane that stalled and crashed on a meat processing plant. All five crew members and five passengers were killed while two other passengers were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The main cause of the accident was severe icing of the aircraft.
The following contributory factors were identified:
- The crew's decision to fly into clouds and to perform low-altitude turns with an iced-up aircraft.
- The meteorologist at Kazan Airport, who issued a weather forecast without indicating the possibility of icing in the clouds on the Kazan-Krasnufimsk route.
- The captain and flight instructor, who performed low-altitude turns with an iced-up airplane and allowed the flight to continue in the clouds with intense icing.
- The Kazan Airport controller, who superficially familiarized himself with the weather conditions. Seeing the unstable weather along the route, he made the ill-advised decision to transfer responsibility for the flight to the captain, writing a note in the weather report about landing in Yanaul in case of bad weather, instead of a specific order to fly above the clouds, because in Sverdlovsk, according to the forecast, there was high cloud cover of 5 to 10 points.

Crash of a Yakovlev AIR-6 near Kuybyshev

Date & Time: Dec 19, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Yakovlev AIR-6

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-K140

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Kyubyshev - Chkalov

MSN:

7800

YOM:

1936

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Few minutes after takeoff from Kyubyshev, the pilot encountered poor visibility due to fog. He decided to return to the airport when, from a height of 60-75 metres, he lost control of the airplane that crashed. The pilot was injured.

Probable cause:

The following factors were identified:
- Incorrect weather forecast issued by Kuibyshev AMSG,
- Violation of NLS by the pilot,
- Pilot negligence, demonstrated when changing the aircraft's course in fog, resulting in a loss of altitude.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-2 in Tver: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1942 at 1121 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev TU-2

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Tver - Tver

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane crashed on takeoff from Migalovo AFB and was destroyed. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt/M Ivan Pimenovich Myasoedov, pilot,
Lt Nikolay Ivanovich Sukhorukov, navigator,
Sgt Alexander Grigorievich Grinko, radio operator.

Crash of a Polikarpov U-2 near Tinguta: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov Po-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-S3002

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

11137

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was shot down by a German fighter and crashed 15 km west of Tinguta. The pilot was seriously injured and the passenger, Colonel Tshernov, was killed.

Probable cause:

Shot down a German fighter.

Subscribe to Russia