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Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 near Pskhu: 9 killed

Date & Time: Oct 16, 1978 at 0940 LT
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-40553
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Pskhu - Sukhumi
MSN:
1G84-06
YOM:
1967
Flight number:
SU302G
Location:
Pskhu
Abkhazia
Country:
Georgia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Aircraft flight hours:
8782
Aircraft flight cycles:
11072
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane departed the grassy runway at Pskhu Airport at 0925LT on a regular schedule service to Sukhumi and the crew was cleared to climb to 2,100 meters. About 15 minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 1,450 meters in good weather conditions, the airplane went out of control, struck tree tops and crashed in flames in a wooded area located on the slope of Mt Dzishra (2,623 meters high) located 6 km south of the airfield. The aircraft was totally destroyed by fire and all nine occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined by the fact that the aircraft was totally consumed by fire. Nevertheless, a high concentration of carbon monoxide was found in both pilots blood and it is believed it may be the consequence of smoke spreading in the cabin due to a fire in a hand luggage containing films or a possible electrical short-circuit. The assumption that the loss of control was also the consequence of an in-flight collision with a flock of birds that struck the windshield and injured both pilots was not ruled out.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Mary

Date & Time: Oct 13, 1978
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-32515
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1G103-42
YOM:
1969
Location:
Mary
Mary Province (Mary welaýaty)
Country:
Turkmenistan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances near Mary and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties. It appears that the total weight of the aircraft was above the MTOW at the time of the accident.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Sverdlovsk: 38 killed

Date & Time: Oct 7, 1978 at 1952 LT
Type of aircraft:
Yakovlev Yak-40
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-87437
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Sverdlovsk - Kostanay - Dzhambul
MSN:
9 43 13 35
YOM:
1974
Flight number:
SU1080
Location:
Sverdlovsk-Koltsovo
Sverdlovsk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
34
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
38
Aircraft flight hours:
6291
Aircraft flight cycles:
5110
Circumstances:
Less than a minute after liftoff, while climbing in marginal weather conditions, the left engine failed. The captain informed ATC about the situation and was cleared to return for an emergency landing. Unable to gain height, the airplane struck trees at a speed of 210 km/h and crashed in a wooded area located on a hilly terrain about 7,5 km from the airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 38 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the left engine failed slightly less than a minute after rotation due to icing. For unknown reasons, the crew failed to follow the pre-takeoff checklist and did not activate the engine deicing systems despite the fact that icing conditions were reported in altitude. During climb, the left engine failed while both engines n°2 and 3 did not provide sufficient power. Also, it was determined that the total weight of the aircraft was 419 kg above MTOW while its speed at the time the left engine failed was insufficient, also because the landing gear were not completely raised.

Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Tbilisi

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Yakovlev Yak-40
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-87544
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Ulyanovsk - Volgograd - Tbilisi
MSN:
9 53 09 42
YOM:
1975
Location:
Tbilisi-Shota-Rustaveli (ex Novo Alekseyevka)
Tbilisi City District
Country:
Georgia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
26
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On the leg from Volgograd to Tbilisi, while flying by night, both primary and emergency hydraulic systems failed. Only the nose gear could be lowered while stabilizers and flaps remained in neutral position. The aircraft landed on its belly at a speed of 250 km/h and the nose gear touched down 1,264 meters past the runway threshold. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran at a speed of 165 km/h, struck the localizer antenna, a concrete wall and came to rest in a ravine, broken in three. All 30 occupants were injured, three of them seriously.
Probable cause:
Failure of both primary and emergency hydraulic systems in flight after some water that mistakenly leaked in a tank due to a seal problems froze.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R near Ulan-Bator

Date & Time: Sep 29, 1978
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-07278
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1G148-39
YOM:
1973
Location:
Ulan Bator
Ulan Bator City District
Country:
Mongolia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances near Ulan Bator. There were no casualties.
Probable cause:
For unknown reasons, the crew failed to follow the minimum prescribed altitude.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Novoaleksandrovsk: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 23, 1978 at 1030 LT
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-32079
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Spraying (Agricultural)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Novoaleksandrovsk - Novoaleksandrovsk
MSN:
1G92-35
YOM:
1968
Location:
Novoaleksandrovsk
Stavropol Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
8326
Aircraft flight cycles:
42120
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a crop spraying mission on behalf of the 'Lenin' kolkhoz in Novoaleksandrovsk. After few circuits were completed in the morning, the single engine airplane was flying on a distance of 800 meters at a height of about 40 meters when it nosed down and crashed in flames in an open field. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew was intoxicated. Analysis revealed an alcohol level of 4,04‰ in the captain's blood and 0,43‰ in the copilot's blood. It was not possible to determine who was the pilot-in-command at the time of the accident.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R near Yablunivka: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 8, 1978 at 1305 LT
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-35112
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Spraying (Agricultural)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Yablunivka - Yablunivka
MSN:
1G111-38
YOM:
1969
Location:
Yablunivka
Chernihiv Oblast
Country:
Ukraine
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
7437
Aircraft flight cycles:
39351
Circumstances:
The crew departed Yablunivka at 1258LT on a crop spraying mission on behalf of the sovkhoz of 'Shlyakh Ilitch'. Seven minutes later, while cruising at a height of 30-70 meters, the crew initiated a right turn when the airplane went out of control, plunged into the earth and crashed at a speed of 226 km/h in an open field located 5 km southeast of Yablunivka. The aircraft did not catch fire but was destroyed upon impact and both pilots were killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, it is believed that the crew lost control of the airplane after the control column was jammed because a first-aid kit stored in a metallic cylinder box stored below the copilot seat got stuck between the steering column and the seat.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 near Kharat: 13 killed

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1978 at 1307 LT
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-32323
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Irkutsk - Kharantsy - Onguren
MSN:
1G97-35
YOM:
1968
Flight number:
SU137B
Location:
Kharat
Irkutsk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Aircraft flight hours:
8161
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane departed Irkutsk-Magan Airport at 1236LT on a flight to Onguren with an intermediate stop in Kharantsy. At 1303LT, the crew informed ground about his position, flying at an altitude of 1,500 meters. Four minutes later, while cruising in marginal weather conditions, the airplane pitched down and crashed in a nose down attitude of 75° in a wooded area located 15 km east of the village of Kharat. As the radio contact was lost and the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but the wreckage was found a week later only, on September 8, in a hilly and wooded area, at an altitude of 785 meters. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 13 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined. There were no technical anomalies with the airplane that most probably lost height after being caught by downdrafts coming from a cumulonimbus.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2TP in Nukus

Date & Time: Aug 16, 1978
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-40545
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1G83-48
YOM:
1967
Location:
Nukus
Karakalpakstan (Qaraqalpaqstan Respublikasi)
Country:
Uzbekistan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft crashed in a field located in Nukus and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.
Probable cause:
It appears that the loss of control was caused by the fact that the pilot in command was distracted.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 near Ekimchan: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 13, 1978 at 0942 LT
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-55719
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Ekimchan - Baladek
MSN:
1G49-11
YOM:
1964
Location:
Ekimchan
Amur oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
12141
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane was completing a flight from Ekimchan to Baladek, carrying one passenger, two pilots and five drums loaded with diesel for a total weight of one ton. Seven minutes and 10 seconds after takeoff from Ekimchan, while flying at an altitude of 720 meters, the engine lost power. The airplane lost height, entered a nose down attitude of 18° then struck a hill. Both pilots were injured and the passenger was killed. The airplane was destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the engine failure could not be determined with certainty. However, investigators believe that the fuel pump and a collector probably failed in flight.
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