Date & Time:
Oct 10, 1942 at 0915 LT
Type of aircraft:
Polikarpov Po-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-A1120
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Meteorological / Weather
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Ufa - Ufa
MSN:
14292
YOM:
1939
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
1
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
1680
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Ufa Airport in the early morning on a weather data operation. After reaching the altitude of 3,500 metres, the pilot returned to the airport but the visibility deteriorated due to fog that developed about 40 minutes after takeoff. The pilot descended to a height of 110 metres to establish a visual contact with the airport. As this was not possible, he decided to climb when, at a height of about 170 metres, the airplane collided with the mast of a radio station. It partially disintegrated in the air and crashed near the airfield. Both occupants, a pilot and a meteorologist were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was caused by the combination of the following factors:
- Lack of discipline on part of the pilot, who violated instructions and failed to comply with oral instructions from the head of Ufa Airport and his deputy, to divert to Birsk Airport or other nearby sites in the event of airport closure. Despite the airfield was covered with fog, the pilot attempted to land.
- The meteorologist on duty at the Ufa AMSG did not provide a precise weather forecast for the near future. The weather report given to the pilot indicated flying conditions, but 40 minutes after takeoff, the airfield was completely covered by rapidly approaching fog. The weather forecast was based on the 19-hour synoptic chart of 09OCT42, and the one-hour synoptic chart of 10OCT42 was not provided due to lack of data.
- Insufficient organization of atmospheric sounding flights at Ufa Airport, expressed by the fact that detailed instructions were not drawn up in the local instructions for conducting flights over the aerodrome.
- The real cause of the accident was the presence of obstacles on the aerodrome's approach runway (206 metres-high radio masts) which did not meet the requirements of the aerodrome's maintenance manual.
- Lack of discipline on part of the pilot, who violated instructions and failed to comply with oral instructions from the head of Ufa Airport and his deputy, to divert to Birsk Airport or other nearby sites in the event of airport closure. Despite the airfield was covered with fog, the pilot attempted to land.
- The meteorologist on duty at the Ufa AMSG did not provide a precise weather forecast for the near future. The weather report given to the pilot indicated flying conditions, but 40 minutes after takeoff, the airfield was completely covered by rapidly approaching fog. The weather forecast was based on the 19-hour synoptic chart of 09OCT42, and the one-hour synoptic chart of 10OCT42 was not provided due to lack of data.
- Insufficient organization of atmospheric sounding flights at Ufa Airport, expressed by the fact that detailed instructions were not drawn up in the local instructions for conducting flights over the aerodrome.
- The real cause of the accident was the presence of obstacles on the aerodrome's approach runway (206 metres-high radio masts) which did not meet the requirements of the aerodrome's maintenance manual.
