Crash of a Beriev A-50U near Yeysk: 10 killed

Date & Time: Feb 23, 2024 at 1844 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RF-50610
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
00834 84538
YOM:
1989
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
While cruising at night in the region of Yeysk, the four engine airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in an open field located near Yeysk. All 10 occupants were killed. The airplane was operated by the 610th Center of Combat Application and coded 42 Red. Ukraine's military intelligence agency confirmed Russian A-50 military aircraft had been downed as a result of a joint operation with the Air Force.

Crash of a Transall C-160T in Kayseri

Date & Time: Jan 25, 2024
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
69-036
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kayseri - Kayseri
MSN:
D036
YOM:
1969
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training flight at Kayseri-Erkilet Airport on behalf of the 12 Wing. While flying in the vicinity of the airport, he encountered technical problems and elected to return for an emergency landing. The crew performed a very low approach over the surrounding districts before landing on runway 25. After touchdown, the airplane apparently encountered issues with the left main gear, slid for few hundred metres then veered off runway to the left and came to rest in a grassy area. All crew members escaped uninjured.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-76M near Yablonovo: 74 killed

Date & Time: Jan 24, 2024 at 1115 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RF-86868
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Moscow - Belgorod
MSN:
00134 28833
YOM:
1981
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
68
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
74
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Moscow-Chkalovsky Airport on a flight to Belgorod, carrying 65 Ukrainian soldiers, three accompanying people and six crew members. The crew started the descent to Belgorod Airport when the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent, rolled to the left and eventually crashed in a snow covered field located in Yablonovo, about 55 km northeast of Belgorod Airport. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 74 occupants were killed. The exact circumstances of the accident remains unclear as Russian Authorities claim that the airplane has been shot down, by error or voluntarily, by a Ukrainian missile. The 65 Ukrainian soldiers were transferred to Belgorod as part of a prisoner exchange program.
Crew:
Stanislav Bezzubkin, pilot,
Alexey Vysokin, copilot,
Andrey Piluev, flight engineer,
Sergey Zhitenev, technician,
Igor Sablinsky, radio operator.

Crash of a Shaanxi Y-8F-200W in Lengpui

Date & Time: Jan 23, 2024 at 1019 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5821
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After touchdown on runway 35 at Lengpui Airport, the four engine airplane encountered difficulties to stop within the remaining distance. It overran, rolled through bushes, went down an embankment and came to rest, broken in two. All 14 occupants were rescued, among them eight were injured. The plane was dispatched to Lengpui to pick up 92 soldiers from the Myanmar Army who should be repatriated to Myanmar on behalf of the 7th Squadron. These Myanmarese soldiers crossed over to India last week, following gunfights with ethnic insurgent group 'Arakan Army'.

Crash of a Dassault Falcon 10 on Mt Topkhana: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 20, 2024 at 1915 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-09011
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
U-Tapao – Gaya – Tashkent – Moscow
MSN:
128
YOM:
1978
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed U-Tapao Airport, Thailand, in the early morning, on an ambulance flight to Moscow-Zhukovsky Airport. Chartered by Gazpromavia, it was carrying four passengers and two crew members. A first fuel stop was made in Gaya, Bihar, and a second fuel stop was scheduled in Tashkent. After three hours and 45 minutes into the flight, while cruising at FL380 over the Afghan mountains, the crew declared an emergency and elected to divert to Kulob, southeast Tajikistan. Few minutes later, one of the engine failed, followed shortly later by the second one. In such conditions, the crew attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crashed on the slope of Mt Topkhana located in the province of Badakhshan, bursting into flames. Four people were rescued and two passengers were killed.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-8-315Q in Tokyo: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 2, 2024 at 1747 LT
Operator:
Registration:
JA722A
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tokyo - Niigata
MSN:
656
YOM:
2007
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew of flight JL516 from Sapporo-New Chitose Airport was on a night approach to Tokyo-Haneda Airport Runway 34R when he was informed about traffic holding by taxiway C5. Weather conditions were considered as good. A De Havilland DHC-8-315Q MPA of the Japan Coast Guard was dispatched from Tokyo to Niigata, carrying a crew of six who were on a support mission of the victims of the recent earthquake in the north Peninsula. This crew was instructed by ground ATC to hold short at taxiway C5. After touchdown on runway 34R, the Airbus A350 collided with the Dash-8 that was aligned on the runway centerline. Upon impact, the nose gear of the Airbus was torn off and a violent explosion occurred. The Airbus caught fire, slid for approximately 2,400 meters then veered to the right and came to rest in a grassy area located near taxiway C11, about 200 meters from runway 16L threshold, bursting into flames. All 379 occupants evacuated the airplane, among them 15 were injured. The Airbus was later consumed by fire and totally destroyed. The Dash-8 was also totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. Among its crew of six, only the captain survived, critically injured. The five other crew members were killed. According to preliminary report released by the Japan Minister of Transport, the crew of JL516 have been cleared to land on runway 34R and the crew of the Japan Coast Guard Dash-8 have been instructed to hold short at taxiway C5. It was also reported that the stop bar lights for taxiway C1 to C14 were unserviceable since December 25 as per Notam published.

Crash of an Airbus A350-941 in Tokyo

Date & Time: Jan 2, 2024 at 1747 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
JA13XJ
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Sapporo - Tokyo
MSN:
538
YOM:
2021
Flight number:
JL516
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
367
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew of flight JL516 from Sapporo-New Chitose Airport was on a night approach to Tokyo-Haneda Airport Runway 34R when he was informed about traffic holding by taxiway C5. Weather conditions were considered as good. A De Havilland DHC-8-315Q MPA of the Japan Coast Guard was dispatched from Tokyo to Niigata, carrying a crew of six who were on a support mission of the victims of the recent earthquake in the north Peninsula. This crew was instructed by ground ATC to hold short at taxiway C5. After touchdown on runway 34R, the Airbus A350 collided with the Dash-8 that was aligned on the runway centerline. Upon impact, the nose gear of the Airbus was torn off and a violent explosion occurred. The Airbus caught fire, slid for approximately 2,400 meters then veered to the right and came to rest in a grassy area located near taxiway C11, about 200 meters from runway 16L threshold, bursting into flames. All 379 occupants evacuated the airplane, among them 15 were injured. The Airbus was later consumed by fire and totally destroyed. The Dash-8 was also totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. Among its crew of six, only the captain survived, critically injured. The five other crew members were killed. According to preliminary report released by the Japan Minister of Transport, the crew of JL516 have been cleared to land on runway 34R and the crew of the Japan Coast Guard Dash-8 have been instructed to hold short at taxiway C5. It was also reported that the stop bar lights for taxiway C1 to C14 were unserviceable since December 25 as per Notam published.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R near Polyarny

Date & Time: Nov 10, 2023 at 1242 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-84566
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Pevek - Polyarny
MSN:
1G189-33
YOM:
1980
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
7978
Captain / Total hours on type:
851.00
Aircraft flight hours:
345
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane departed Pevek on a cargo flight to Polyarny, carrying two passengers, one pilot and a load of 150 kg of various goods. Approaching the destination, weather conditions deteriorated with heavy rain falls. In limited visibility, the airplane impacted the ground and crashed in the snow covered tundra few km from Polyarny. The wreckage was found few hours later and all three occupants were injured, the captain seriously. The airplane was a TR-301, a version of the AN-2 without the lower wings. Modification were performed by Tekhnoregion under MSN ТR301.21.004.
Probable cause:
The collision with a mountainside occurred in a mountainous area during daylight under Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) that did not permit Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations, as a result of the pilot-in-command (PIC) losing visual contact with the ground.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- The decision by the PIC to proceed with the flight despite forecasted meteorological conditions along the route and at the landing site that did not permit VFR operations (due to heavy precipitation).
- The failure of the PIC to take appropriate measures to avoid an hazardous area when signs of dangerous meteorological phenomenons became evident during the flight.
- Conducting the flight in violation of the aircraft's operational limitations under conditions unsuitable for VFR.
- The PIC's failure to make a timely decision to return to the departure airport or divert to an alternate airport when weather conditions deteriorated to levels below the minimums established for VFR operations.
Final Report:

Crash of an Ilyushin II-76MD at Ayni AFB

Date & Time: Oct 20, 2023 at 0003 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RF-86900
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
00234 35034
YOM:
1982
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
6054
Aircraft flight cycles:
4231
Circumstances:
In the evening of October 19, the four engine airplane departed Ayni AFB (Gissar AFB) located west of Dushanbe on a transport mission with a crew of eight on board. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the crew reported an engine fire and was cleared for an immediate return. The crew turned over the area for several minutes to dump the fuel before completing a landing on runway 08/26. After touchdown shortly past midnight on October 20, the airplane veered off runway and came to rest in a grassy area, bursting into flames. All eight crew members evacuated safely while the airplane was totally destroyed by fire. It is believed that the engine n°4 caught fire during initial climb.

Crash of a Learjet 45 in Mumbai

Date & Time: Sep 14, 2023 at 1705 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VT-DBL
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Visakhapatnam – Mumbai
MSN:
45-404
YOM:
2009
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The approach to Mumbai-Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport was completed in poor weather conditions with reduced visibility due to heavy rain falls. On short final, the airplane was in a nose down attitude and rolling to the right when it impacted the runway surface. It went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest in a grassy area, broken in two. A small fire was quickly extinguished. All eight occupants were injured.