Armenia | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Because weather conditions deteriorated over Armenia, all flights were cancelled and airplane and crew were grounded. The captain refused to stay in Yerevan, disobeyed this ordered and took off at 1230LT with four other crew members and one passenger on board on a flight to Tbilisi. About 20 minutes into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of 2,300 metres, weather conditions worsened. In poor visibility, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Ketan-Dag located some 45 km northeast of Yerevan. Four crew members were seriously injured. The mechanic and the passenger were killed.

Probable cause:

The captain knowingly made the decision to take off despite not being authorized to do so and despite weather conditions that did not permit a safe flight. Investigators said that the pilot demonstrated negligence, recklessness and imprudence. Furthermore, he continued the flight at an insufficient altitude despite being thoroughly familiar with the area. Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Tupolev G-2 on Mt Hatis

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-6 (TB-3 & G-2)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L2009

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Ashgabat – Krasnovodsk – Baku – Tbilisi – Yerevan

MSN:

22 164

YOM:

1937

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On December 9, the airplane departed Ashgabat on a flight to Yerevan with intermediate stops in Krasnovodsk, Baku and Tbilisi. The last sector to Yerevan was postponed to December 10 and the crew passed the overnight in Tbilisi. The airplane took off at 1140LT and weather conditions were considered as good. Approaching Lake Sevan at an altitude of 3,700 metres, weather conditions deteriorated with clouds and snow falls. The pilot attempted to return to Tbilisi but this was too late and as the airplane was flying over a mountainous area, the pilot finally decided to continue to Yerevan. Descending to the altitude of 2,500 metres in clouds, the airplane impacted the north slope of Mt Hatis (2,528 metres high) located 22 km northeast of Yerevan. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all five crew members were rescued, among them four were injured.

Probable cause:

The main reason for the accident was the failure to report to Tbilisi a snowstorm coming from Yerevan, which had started at 1215LT over the Sevan area. According to available weather information, confirmed by forecasts, the pilot, after crossing a pass at an altitude of 3,700 metres, descended below fragmented clouds to an altitude of 2,700 metres, according to the altimeter. After flying for several minutes below the clouds, he encountered snowfall and was unable to return as the clouds had become compact.
The following factors were identified:
- The presence of a storm in the Sevan area and the associated low pressure area distorted the actual altitude readings.
- A spontaneous and unstudied short-term weather change.
- The telegraph operators at Sevan-Yerevan showed criminal negligence in transmitting the warning message. As a result, the message, received at 1220LT as scheduled, was transmitted to Yerevan at 1237LT, then to Tbilisi at 1347LT (1 hour and 10 minutes after receipt) and never reached Tbilisi. The absence of this information deprived the pilot of the opportunity to warn him of the storm in the Sevan region before approaching the pass.

Crash of a Polikarpov S-2 in Sevan: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 18, 1941 at 1050 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov Po-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-K398

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Sevan - Yerevan

MSN:

17121

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

205

Circumstances:

After dropping an engineer at Sevan Airfield, the pilot took off on a return leg to Yerevan. Shortly after liftoff, while climbing to a height of 25-35 metres, the airplane entered a sharp turn to the left then nosed down and crashed. The pilot, sole on board, died 4 hours later from injuries sustained.

Probable cause:

The pilot failed to follow the flight instructions and published procedures.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 near Gosh

Date & Time: Jun 14, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L2986

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

9380

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising in poor weather conditions, the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located in the region of Gosh, some 74 km northeast of Yerevan. The pilot was rescued and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Yerevan

Date & Time: Mar 10, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1950

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Yerevan - Abaryan

MSN:

4609

YOM:

1932

Location:

Yerevan

Country:

Armenia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane was completing a mail flight from Yerevan to Abaryan, carrying one mechanic, one pilot and a load of 119 kg of mail. Ten minutes after takeoff, while flying at an insufficient height, the airplane impacted the snow covered ground, overturned and crashed. Both occupants were injured and the airplane was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain after the pilot continued the flight at an unsafe altitude, due to poor judgment of the distance between the aircraft and the ground.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 on Mt Akh-Dag: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 26, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-M50

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Basargechar - Yerevan

MSN:

9572

YOM:

1935

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

645

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane departed Basargechar at 1550LT on a cargo flight to Yerevan, carrying one pilot and a load of 240 kg of tobacco. While cruising in clouds over the Akhmangan Mountain Range, the airplane went out of control and impacted the slope of Mt Akh-Dag (3,454 metres high). As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but were eventually suspended on 15 January 1937. The wreckage was found on 26 August 1937. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

The pilot suffered a spatial disorientation while flying in clouds over mountainous terrain, causing a loss of control and a subsequent impact with terrain.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- The decision to fly another route over mountains was in violation of the published procedures,
- The number of daylight hours after takeoff from Basargechar was insufficient.

Crash of a Polikarpov SP in Basargechar: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1934

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov Po-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-M7

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Yerevan - Basargechar

MSN:

5987

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

278

Aircraft flight cycles:

289

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Yerevan, the airplane was approaching the destination at an altitude of 1,000 metres when the pilot initiated a straight-in approach, which is against the published procedures that request a circuit vertical to the airfield. Doing so, the pilot deviated from the approach path. Once at a height of 50 metres, he attempted to go around when the engine failed. The airplane lost height and crashed one km from the airport. Both occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of the following:
- The pilot failed to follow the approach procedures,
- Engine failure on approach for unknown reasons.