Date & Time:
Mar 24, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
13887
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Yakutsk - Kirensk
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
On a flight from Yakutsk to Kirensk, approaching the destination, weather conditions worsened. The captain reduced his altitude in an attempt to establish a visual contact with the ground when the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated and the wreckage was later found 18 km from Kirensk. All three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- Decision of the crew to fly without radio,
- The crew has not been informed about the deterioration of the weather conditions,
- Lack of discipline on part of the pilot who decided to continue the flight below the cloud layer,
- The hill was probably shrouded in clouds and could not been seen and avoided by the crew.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- Decision of the crew to fly without radio,
- The crew has not been informed about the deterioration of the weather conditions,
- Lack of discipline on part of the pilot who decided to continue the flight below the cloud layer,
- The hill was probably shrouded in clouds and could not been seen and avoided by the crew.
