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Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Khalaktyrka: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1959 at 1145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-84448
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Milkovo – Khalaktyrka
MSN:
35 02
YOM:
1949
Location:
Khalaktyrka
Kamchatka Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
9416
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing a cargo flight from Milkovo to Khalaktyrka, carrying a crew of four and a load of 46 bags of potatoes for a total weight of 2,536 kilos. The crew started the descent in clouds and did not realize he was not following the assigned route for Khalaktyrka. At an altitude of 2,100 meters, the airplane struck the north face of Mt Aag (2,319 meters high) located 42 km north of Khalaktyrka. The wreckage was found a day later and all four crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that strong winds were blowing at 60 km/h at the time of the accident, causing the airplane to deviate 12° from the prescribed route. Due to clouds, the crew was unable to distinguish the mountain. Lack of ATC assistance was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-18B in Moscow

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1959
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-18
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-75676
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
189 0009 05
YOM:
1959
Location:
Moscow-Vnukovo
Moscow oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
48
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 10,000 meters over the region of Voronezh, the airplane penetrated cumulonimbus area and suffered updrafts first. It climbed to 10,700 meters then encountered downdrafts and descended to 7,000 meters. The propellers on both engines number one and four were automatically feathered when new downdrafts were encountered. The airplane descended to the altitude of 2,800 meters when the crew was able to recover control of the airplane. The crew contacted ATC and obtained the permission to return to Vnukovo for an emergency landing. Following an uneventful landing, all 56 occupants (some of them injured) were evacuated and the aircraft was later declared as damaged beyond economical repair due to heavy damage to the structure. Also, it was reported that the chemical liquid stored in the toilet compartment leaked and contacted several electrical system, causing short-circuits. Several connectors were down as well as the VHF communication system.
Probable cause:
Emergency landing following in-flight downdrafts and turbulences.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Kovrik River: 9 killed

Date & Time: Aug 10, 1959 at 1225 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-54795
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Supply
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Uchur - Uchur
MSN:
184 339 08
YOM:
13
Location:
Kovrik River
Khabarovsk Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Aircraft flight hours:
9608
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Uchur in the morning on a supply mission to a geological camp located in the region of the Kovrik River. The crew successfully performed a first drop and continued along the Kovrik Valley in an attempt to make a second low pass. While cruising at low height, the captain realized he was too low and elected to return, made a sharp turn to the left when control was lost. From a height of about 20-25 meters, the aircraft bank left, stalled and crashed 1,900 meters from the drop zone. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all nine occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of poor pilot techniques and wrong decisions on part of the captain who failed to recognize that he was flying too low and at an insufficient speed while performing a sharp turn to the left in a mountainous area. The following factors were considered as contributory:
- Too low altitude to expect recovery when stall occurred,
- The crew continued the flight at an insufficient height in a mountainous area,
- Poor flight preparation,
- Wrong approach configuration.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 in Yurgarga River

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1959
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-04266
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
112 473 02
YOM:
1951
Location:
Yurgarga River
Krasnoyarsk Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances into the Yurgarga River. Crew fate remains unknown.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Berdsk: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 24, 1959 at 1306 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-84595
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Geographical / Geophysical / Scientific
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Novosibirsk - Novosibirsk
MSN:
184 275 08
YOM:
4
Location:
Berdsk
Novosibirsk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Aircraft flight hours:
9820
Circumstances:
The crew departed Novosibirsk-Severny Airport on a geophysical mission. En route, the right engine failed. Instead of feathering the propeller, the crew attempted few times to restart it but without success. Due to high drag, the airplane lost height and the speed decreased. The captain elected to make an emergency landing on a terrain located between the villages of Morozovo and Tavolgan. At a height of 330 meters, the different probes used for the mission were reinstalled in the cabin when the aircraft stalled and crashed in a wooded area. Five crew members were killed while three others were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the right engine failed because the fuel selector was connected to an empty fuel tank. Poor crew coordination and failure to follow the published procedures.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Severo-Evensky

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1959 at 1125 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lisunov LI-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-16192
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Magadan – Evensk – Gizhiga
Location:
Evensk
Magadan oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While descending to Evensk Airport on a cargo flight from Magadan to Gizhiga, the crew encountered poor visibility due to low clouds. At an altitude of 800 meters, the airplane struck the top of a hill, continued for several hundred meters and eventually crashed on a second hill (760 meters high) located 30 km west from Evensk Airport. All six occupants were rescued while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Negligence on part of the captain who decided to start the descent prematurely without knowing his exact position, in clouds without visual contact with the ground.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-12L at Mirny Ice Station

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1959
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-12
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-04249
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
30 099
YOM:
1947
Location:
Mirny Ice Station (Queen Mary Land)
All Antarctica
Country:
Antarctica
Region:
Antarctica
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Mirny Ice Station, the airplane was too low and struck the ground. On impact, the skis and the undercarriage were sheared off and the airplane came to rest on its belly. All five crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair. The exact date of the occurrence remains unknown, somewhere in January 1959.
Probable cause:
Too low approach on part of the pilot-in-command.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14P in Stalingrad: 25 killed

Date & Time: Jan 18, 1959 at 0333 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-14
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-41863
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Moscow – Voronezh – Stalingrad – Baku
MSN:
1460 007 01
YOM:
28
Flight number:
SU205
Location:
Stalingrad
Volgograd oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
25
Aircraft flight hours:
3922
Circumstances:
On final approach to Stalingrad-Gumrak Airport by night, while at an altitude of 400 meters, the airplane went out of control, banked right and crashed at a speed of 300 km/h in a snow covered field located 5 km from the runway 24 threshold. The aircraft was totally destroyed upon impact but there was no fire. All 25 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, the assumption that the aircraft may have been mistakenly shot down was not ruled out. Five round holes of a diameter of 10 mm and 35 mm where found in the flight deck. Also, various metallic fragments foreign to the structure of the aircraft were found above the captain's head as well as in his left thigh. It is believed that arms being fired from a military training facility beneath the approach path.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-12 in Uralsk

Date & Time: Dec 24, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-12
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1458
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Ferry
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Moscow – Uralsk – Aktyubinsk
MSN:
83 025 25
YOM:
1948
Flight number:
SU069
Location:
Uralsk
West Kazakhstan
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll at Uralsk Airport, the captain decided to activate the afterburner without informing the rest of the crew. The takeoff roll was longer than expected and he completed the rotation after a run of 750 meters. After takeoff, while climbing to a height of 2-3 meters at a speed of 160 km/h, the captain prematurely ordered the retraction of the landing gear. In a certain confusion, the board mechanic shut down both engines instead of retracting the gears. The aircraft flew for about 605 meters then descended to the ground, rolled for 211 meters and struck a railway embankment and telephone pole. On impact, the airplane lost its undercarriage and slid for several yards before coming to rest. While all five crew members were injured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Poor flight preparation on part of the flying crew and lack of crew resources management and coordination. The captain took the decision to activate the afterburner system without any announcement to the rest of the crew and during the takeoff roll and not prior to takeoff which is against the published procedures. This caused a certain confusion in the cockpit.
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