Date & Time:
Dec 30, 1942 at 1330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41/SB 2)
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L3536
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Moscow - Saratov - Tbilisi
MSN:
9/215
YOM:
1939
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
1032
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Moscow on a cargo flight to Tbilisi with an intermediate stop in Saratov, carrying three crew members and a load of 545 kilos of spare parts destined to the airplanes of the 8th Civil Fleet based in Tbilisi. En route, weather conditions deteriorated and the visibility was poor due to sudden fog. At a very low height (5-10 metres), the pilot decided to return and initiated a left turn without gaining altitude, causing the airplane to struck the ground and to crash in a 70 cm snow covered field. All three crew members were seriously injured. The navigator died in the evening from injuries sustained.
Probable cause:
The pilot took the late decision to turn back and made an error by flying into a patch of fog. A poor flight preparation on part of the crew was considered as a contributory factor.
