Date & Time:
Dec 14, 1942 at 1650 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev ANT-20
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L760
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Urganch - Chardzhou - Tashkent
MSN:
02
YOM:
1939
Country:
Uzbekistan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
10
Pax on board:
26
Pax fatalities:
26
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
36
Aircraft flight hours:
698
Circumstances:
The six engine airplane departed Urganch on a flight to Tashkent with an intermediate stop in Chardzhou, Turkmenistan. On board were 26 passengers and a crew of 10. While cruising at an altitude of 500 metres in relative good weather conditions, the airplane pitched down then entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed at an angle of 80° in a huge explosion near Sirdarya, some 86 km southwest of Tashkent Airport. The airplane was destroyed and all 36 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The captain was not at his seat at the time of the accident. Investigations revealed that a passenger (pilot) was seating at the place of the captain and disconnected the automatic pilot before engaging the aircraft in a wrong attitude and configuration. This caused the aircraft to nose down and crash. It was determined that in the past, the captain regularly allowed non authorized people to take over controls of the airplane. Lack of discipline on part of the captain and lack of supervision on part of the Authority.
