Kotayk | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The single engine aircraft departed Yerevan-Erebuni Airport at 1047LT on a cargo flight to Kamo, carrying two pilots and a load of 140 kilos of mail and various goods. At that time, weather conditions were considered as good. Six minutes later, the crew informed ATC about his position at an altitude of 1,800 meters and was cleared to climb to 2,400 meters. Then the aircraft entered a right turn and struck the south slope of Mt Gantusar (2,299 meters high) about two km northeast of Jraber. The wreckage was found at an altitude of 1,915 meters and both pilots were killed. It was reported that the visibility at the accident site was about 60 meters due to thick fog.

Probable cause:

It was determined that weather conditions deteriorated en route with limited visibility due to foggy conditions, and the crew took the decision to continue the flight in below minimums visibility instead of returning to Yerevan Airport.

Crash of a GVF PS-84 on Mt Ketan-Dag: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 2, 1943 at 1250 LT

Type of aircraft:

GVF PS-84

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L3495

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Yerevan - Tbilisi

MSN:

184 11 04

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Because weather conditions deteriorated over Armenia, all flights were cancelled and airplane and crew were grounded. The captain refused to stay in Yerevan, disobeyed this ordered and took off at 1230LT with four other crew members and one passenger on board on a flight to Tbilisi. About 20 minutes into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of 2,300 metres, weather conditions worsened. In poor visibility, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Ketan-Dag located some 45 km northeast of Yerevan. Four crew members were seriously injured. The mechanic and the passenger were killed.

Probable cause:

The captain knowingly made the decision to take off despite not being authorized to do so and despite weather conditions that did not permit a safe flight. Investigators said that the pilot demonstrated negligence, recklessness and imprudence. Furthermore, he continued the flight at an insufficient altitude despite being thoroughly familiar with the area. Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Tupolev G-2 on Mt Hatis

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-6 (TB-3 & G-2)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L2009

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Ashgabat – Krasnovodsk – Baku – Tbilisi – Yerevan

MSN:

22 164

YOM:

1937

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On December 9, the airplane departed Ashgabat on a flight to Yerevan with intermediate stops in Krasnovodsk, Baku and Tbilisi. The last sector to Yerevan was postponed to December 10 and the crew passed the overnight in Tbilisi. The airplane took off at 1140LT and weather conditions were considered as good. Approaching Lake Sevan at an altitude of 3,700 metres, weather conditions deteriorated with clouds and snow falls. The pilot attempted to return to Tbilisi but this was too late and as the airplane was flying over a mountainous area, the pilot finally decided to continue to Yerevan. Descending to the altitude of 2,500 metres in clouds, the airplane impacted the north slope of Mt Hatis (2,528 metres high) located 22 km northeast of Yerevan. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all five crew members were rescued, among them four were injured.

Probable cause:

The main reason for the accident was the failure to report to Tbilisi a snowstorm coming from Yerevan, which had started at 1215LT over the Sevan area. According to available weather information, confirmed by forecasts, the pilot, after crossing a pass at an altitude of 3,700 metres, descended below fragmented clouds to an altitude of 2,700 metres, according to the altimeter. After flying for several minutes below the clouds, he encountered snowfall and was unable to return as the clouds had become compact.
The following factors were identified:
- The presence of a storm in the Sevan area and the associated low pressure area distorted the actual altitude readings.
- A spontaneous and unstudied short-term weather change.
- The telegraph operators at Sevan-Yerevan showed criminal negligence in transmitting the warning message. As a result, the message, received at 1220LT as scheduled, was transmitted to Yerevan at 1237LT, then to Tbilisi at 1347LT (1 hour and 10 minutes after receipt) and never reached Tbilisi. The absence of this information deprived the pilot of the opportunity to warn him of the storm in the Sevan region before approaching the pass.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 on Mt Akh-Dag: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 26, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-M50

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Basargechar - Yerevan

MSN:

9572

YOM:

1935

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

645

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane departed Basargechar at 1550LT on a cargo flight to Yerevan, carrying one pilot and a load of 240 kg of tobacco. While cruising in clouds over the Akhmangan Mountain Range, the airplane went out of control and impacted the slope of Mt Akh-Dag (3,454 metres high). As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but were eventually suspended on 15 January 1937. The wreckage was found on 26 August 1937. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

The pilot suffered a spatial disorientation while flying in clouds over mountainous terrain, causing a loss of control and a subsequent impact with terrain.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- The decision to fly another route over mountains was in violation of the published procedures,
- The number of daylight hours after takeoff from Basargechar was insufficient.