Date & Time:
Jun 9, 1940 at 1600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41)
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3523
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Rostov-on-Don – Sochi – Sukhumi – Kutaisi – Tbilisi
MSN:
16/214
YOM:
1938
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
64
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Rostov Airport at 1500LT on a mail flight to Tbilisi with intermediate stops in Sochi, Sukhumi and Kutaisi. About 50 minutes into the flight, while cruising in stormy weather, the pilot lost control of the airplane that entered a dive, partially disintegrated in the air and crashed in a field at a speed of 600-700 km/h. Both crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the crew lost control of the airplane after it was struck by lightning. For unknown reasons, the crew decided to continue the flight into poor weather conditions rather than returning to Rostov.
