Date & Time:
Jun 4, 1962 at 0533 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev TU-104
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-42491
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Sofia – Moscow
MSN:
0 2 16 04
YOM:
26
Country:
Bulgaria
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
5
Aircraft flight hours:
1404
Aircraft flight cycles:
628
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing a cargo flight from Sofia to Moscow-Sheremetyevo Airport, carrying a load of 12,108 kg of cherries and 1,408 kg of strawberries. Shortly after takeoff from runway 09, while climbing to a height of 400 meters, the crew informed ground about the failure of the left engine. The pilot-in-command made a slight turn to the left to 5-6° and shut down the left engine 30 seconds later. The airplane continued heading 095° to the altitude of 800 meters then entered in clouds. The crew informed ATC he was dumping the fuel and returning to the airport for an emergency landing. Shortly later, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located 27 km north of the airport and disintegrated on impact. All five crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the failure of the left engine could not be determined with certainty. However, it was reported that the failure occurred at a critical stage of flight and created a complex situation to the crew who was forced to dump the fuel without appropriate assistance from ATC. The lack of radar equipment remains a contributing factor.
