Date & Time:
May 24, 1943 at 1615 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
URSS-B
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Baku – Astrakhan – Saratov – Moscow
MSN:
2035
YOM:
1943
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
On the last leg of a flight from Baku to Moscow via Astrakhan and Saratov, the crew decided to take off in the direction of rising ground as there was some side wind in the normal takeoff direction. The aircraft lifted off close to the end of the runway. After takeoff, the copilot made a turn to the left at low height and low speed in order to come clear of the hill ahead. Doing so, the airplane stalled, collided with an earth wall and crashed. The copilot was killed while 19 other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
Decision of the crew to take off from the wrong runway considering the wind direction (11 km/h cross wind). The reaction of the copilot during initial climb was erroneous and the supervision of the captain was inappropriate.
