Date & Time: Dec 5, 1954 at 2055 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-12
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1320
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Almaty – Karaganda – Moscow
MSN:
30 026
YOM:
1947
Flight number:
SU098
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
4645
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Almaty Airport, while climbing to a height of 80 meters at a speed of 180 km/h, the left engine failed and caught fire. The captain decided to divert to the nearest Pervomaiski Airbase located 4,5 km from his position. On final approach, the aircraft stalled, hit a first building, several trees, two telegraph poles and eventually crashed on a second building. A stewardess was killed while 18 other occupants were injured, some of them seriously. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The left engine failed and caught fire shortly after takeoff due to the failure of the tenth cylinder, apparently due to poor maintenance on part of the company mechanics. Nevertheless, the techniques adopted by the pilot on short final were inappropriate, which contributed to the stall.