Date & Time:
Jun 22, 1943 at 0800 LT
Type of aircraft:
Polikarpov PR-5
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L2492
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Illegal (smuggling)
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Tabriz - Tabriz
MSN:
138
YOM:
1938
Country:
Iran
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
4
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
5
Aircraft flight hours:
2774
Circumstances:
The pilot departed Yerevan Airport at 0615LT to deliver various goods to the Soviet troops based in Iran. After the airplane landed at Tabriz Airport at 0745LT, four Soviet personnel came to the pilot and asked for a local ride. The airplane took off at 0755LT and the pilot completed several circuits around the airfield. While cruising at a height of 450 metres, the pilot entered a steep climb and nosed up to 45°, causing the airplane to stall and to crash in a field 3 km from the airport. All five occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The immediate cause of the accident was a pilot error that led to a loss of speed during a sharp nose-up maneuver, which caused a severe spin at an altitude too low to allow the pilot to regain control of the aircraft. Investigators concluded that the pilot demonstrated a lack of discipline by allowing four military personnel to board an unauthorized flight, a violation he had already committed eight days prior to the accident.
