Crash of a Douglas A-20G-1-DO Havoc in Zyrianka: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 6, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
42-53721
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Meteorological / Weather
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Seymchan - Seymchan
MSN:
11056
YOM:
1943
Location:
Zyrianka
Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Seymchan Airport on a weather reconnaissance flight to prepare the future transfer of a fleet to Yakutsk. Prior to the flight, the crew was briefed to avoid any cloud ceiling and not flying over the altitude of 15,000 feet. En route, weather conditions deteriorated and the crew continued into clouds, climbed to an altitude of 17,500 feet where he encountered icing conditions and a lack of oxygen. Contact was lost and the airplane crashed in a mountainous area located near Zyrianka. The wreckage was found by the crew of a Mil Mi-4 during the summer 1972. All three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the pilot to return to base when weather conditions worsened. It is believed that the crew became incapacitated due to a lack of oxygen while cruising at an altitude of 17,500 feet.

Crash of a Douglas A-20B-DL Havoc near Seymchan: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 27, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
41-3645
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Seymchan - Seymchan
MSN:
5975
YOM:
1941
Location:
Seymchan
Magadan oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
35
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Seymchan on a training flight with one pilot, one inspector and one technician on board. Following single engine maneuvers, the crew continued to the south where the visibility was poor. The airplane failed to return to base and was declared missing. Local farmers found the wreckage on 15 June 1943 some 50 km southeast of Seymchan, 18 km northeast of the Boriskine mine. The airplane was destroyed and all three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined. However, it is believed that the airplane disintegrated in the air, maybe following a structural failure, and was destroyed by a post crash fire. The right wing and the tail were found 1,5 - 2 km from the fuselage.

Crash of a Douglas A-20A Havoc west of Topolinoye: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 21, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Seymchan - Yakutsk
Location:
Topolinoye
Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
A group of three Douglas A-20A Havoc departed Seymchan on a flight to Yakutsk despite unfavorable weather conditions and without suitable communication with the ground. After passing Oymiakon, the crew continued in clouds at an altitude of 15,000 feet. Approaching Khandyga, the cloud layer became thick and the pilot decided to modify his route, heading 270° to 300°. About 25 minutes later, thinking he was flying vertical to the Aldan River, the pilot elected to reduce his altitude when the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain and crashed. All three crew members were killed. The wreckage was found by a a reindeer herder in May 1983 at coordinated 64° 6' N 133° 18' E, some 130 km west of Topolinoye. Both other airplanes landed safely in Yakutsk.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain while flying in clouds.

Crash of a Douglas A-20B-DL Havoc near Ulakhan-Chistay: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
41-3622
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Seymchan - Yakutsk
MSN:
5952
YOM:
1941
Location:
Sasyr
Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane was on a delivery process and departed Seymchan on a flight to Yakutsk. About 15 minutes into the flight, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. The navigator bailed out and was found alive while both other crew members were killed when the airplane crashed 20 km northwest from the village of Ulakhan-Chistay (today Sasyr).
Crew:
S/Lt Yakov Yakovlevich Cherednichenko, pilot,
Pvt Ivan Yakovlevich Zhitin, radio operator.
Probable cause:
The decision of the pilot to continue the flight in poor weather conditions and his failure to return to the departure airfield as ordered by the chief of the group.

Crash of a Douglas A-20B-DL Havoc near Verkhoyansk: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 25, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
15585
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Seymchan - Yakutsk
Location:
Verkhoyansk
Republic of Yakutia (Sakha)
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
En route from Seymchan to Yakutsk, while cruising at an altitude of 17,000 feet, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed near Verkhoyansk. All three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
The presumed cause of the accident is the pilot's loss of consciousness. His unfortunate decision to fly at 17,000 feet, an altitude at which he should have relied solely on instruments, led to rapid fatigue due to poor visibility. Visibility would not have been worse between 10,000 and 12,000 feet, but his oxygen requirements would have been lower, which might not have caused him to lose consciousness.

Crash of a Douglas A-20 Havoc near Arkagala: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 20, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
41-3319
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Seymchan - Yakutsk
MSN:
5649
YOM:
1941
Location:
Arkagala
Magadan oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Seymchan on a flight to Yakutsk with a crew of three on board. It was part of a group of three Havoc transferred to Yakutsk. En route, weather conditions deteriorated with icing. A first airplane diverted to Oymyakon, a second landed safely in Yakutsk and 41-3319 crashed in a mountains area near Arkagala. The pilot and the radio operator were killed in the airplane and the dead body of the navigator was later found few km from the crash site after he bailed out.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the pilot attempted an emergency landing in hilly terrain while flying in poor weather conditions with a limited visibility due to snow falls. While cruising in icing conditions, the crew failed to activate the deicing equipment and did not activate the heating system for the Pitot tube and the carburetor. The failure of the speed indicator, engine vibrations and airframe icing forced the pilot to attempt an emergency landing.
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