Stavropol Krai | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airport of Mineralnye Vody was closed since three days due to poor weather in all the Caucasus region. Thus, many flights were cancelled and more than 500 passengers were blocked at Tbilisi Airport. In the afternoon of December 31, the airport of Mineralnye Vody was reopened to trafic and two IL-18 aircraft were chartered for the stranded passengers. The boarding process was disorganized and chaotic. Tickets were not checked and too many passengers boarded the plane. There were 84 passenger seats, so 26 passengers stood or sat on their luggage in the aisles as well as in the galley. The maximum rear centre of gravity was exceeded by 1%. Nevertheless, the flight to Mineralnye Vody was uneventful but on approach, weather conditions were still marginal with a visibility limited to 2 km, a cloud base at 120 meters, light rain and mist. On final approach to runway 12, at an altitude of 250 m and heading 117°, as the pilot-in-command was unable to locate the runway nor the approach lights, he decided to make a go around and increased power on all four engines. The crew turn right heading 188° but failed to gain height. Shortly later, the airplane struck obstacles and crashed in flames 3 km southwest of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and 32 occupants were killed, among them two crew members. All 87 other occupants were evacuated.

Probable cause:

The decision of the crew to attempt a go around was correct due to lack of visibility on final approach. But for unknown reason, the crew continued a low level circuit southwest of the airfield, causing the aircraft to struck obstacles and to crash. A chaotic and disorganized situation at Tbilisi Airport, an excessive number of passengers on board and a high stress situation during the flight were considered as contributing factors.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 on Mt Strizhament: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jul 3, 1957 at 0622 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4825

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Ashgabat – Krasnovodsk – Baku – Mineralnye Vody – Krasnodar – Simferopol

MSN:

184 345 10

YOM:

Flight number:

SU461

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

8766

Circumstances:

On the leg from Mineralnye Vody to Krasnodar, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility. The aircraft struck trees on a distance of 80 meters then stalled and crashed in flames on a plateau located on the Mt Strizhament, about 30 km south of Stravropol. The aircraft was totally destroyed and eight passengers were killed, the other five occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

Error on part of the crew who failed to follow the assigned altitude as mentioned on the flight plan. Poor weather conditions, poor flight preparation and lack of assistance on part of the ATC were considered as contributing factors.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 near Mineralnye Vody: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 21, 1953 at 1745 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L4890

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Sverdlovsk – Kazan – Penza – Stalingrad – Mineralnye Vody

MSN:

184 361 06

YOM:

Flight number:

SU525

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

5130

Circumstances:

On the leg from Stalingrad to Mineralnye Vody, while cruising at an altitude of 2,700 meters, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with snow falls. On approach to Mineralnye Vody, the crew obtained the permission to land but the visibility was very low (about 30 meters) with snow falls when the aircraft hit the roof of a farm and crashed 226 meters farther in a snow covered field, about 17 km north of the airport. The captain was killed while seven other occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

The crew was approaching Mineralnye Vody Airport under VFR in IFR conditions.

Crash of a Polikarpov U-2 near Vorochilovsk: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 3, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov Po-2

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

5411

YOM:

1933

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Vorochilovsk, the airplane disappeared and was lost. No trace was found.

Crash of a Kalinin K-5 near Kian: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 30, 1941 at 1550 LT

Type of aircraft:

Kalinin K-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L589

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Mineralnye Vody – Armavir

MSN:

YOM:

1930

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

3976

Circumstances:

In the morning, the pilot was supposed to take off from Mineralnye Vody to Zimovniki but the flight was cancelled due to poor weather conditions en route. At 1500LT, despite he did not received any permission, he took off with four people on a flight to Armavir. Approaching Kian at an altitude of 300 metres, he encountered thick fog. In limited visibility, he decided to return and initiated a turn to the left when, at a speed of 180 km/h, the airplane impacted the ground and crashed some three km south of the Kian Station. The airplane was destroyed and all five occupants were injured, three seriously. Few hours later, one of the passengers died from injuries sustained.

Probable cause:

The pilot's violation of the procedures in initiating a flight without permission and despite poor weather conditions.

Crash of a Polikarpov AP near Vorochilovsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 4, 1941 at 1605 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov Po-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-A1194

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Pyatigorsk – Vorochilovsk – Krasnodar

MSN:

16508

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

745

Circumstances:

The crew was supposed to convoy the airplane (delivery flight) from Pyatigorsk to Krasnodar with an intermediate stop in Vorochilovsk (now Stavropol). Prior to departure from Vorochilovsk, the crew estimated the weather conditions as suitable and took off at 1540LT for Krasnodar. Few minutes after takeoff, weather conditions deteriorated and the visibility was too low. Despite the situation, the pilot decided to continue in clouds when he lost control of the airplane that crashed in a wooded area located south of the city. The pilot was killed and the flight engineer was injured.

Probable cause:

Failure of the pilot to continue the flight in below minima weather conditions and his failure to continue the flight rather than to return to the departure airport. Poor flight preparation was a contributing factor.

Crash of a GVF PS-84 near Stavropol: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 23, 1940

Type of aircraft:

GVF PS-84

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L3405

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Rostov-on-Don – Mineralnye Vody

MSN:

84 4

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Rostov-on-Don to Mineralnye Vody, the crew encountered poor visibility due to low clouds. In an attempt to maintain a visual contact with the ground, the pilot reduced his altitude when the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located near Stavropol. All four occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Mineralnye Vody: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1936 at 1520 LT

Type of aircraft:

Polikarpov P-5

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1706

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Mineralnye Vody – Rostov-on-Don

MSN:

9460

YOM:

1935

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

839

Circumstances:

The pilot departed Mineralnye Vody Airport on a cargo flight to Rostov-on-Don. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing to a height of 25 metres, he initiated a turn to the right when the airplane stalled and crashed, bursting into flames. The pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. Nevertheless, it is believed that the pilot precipitated the takeoff procedure to allow another plane to depart immediately behind him. It was established that the airplane rolled for a distance of 620 metres only prior to rotation and that its speed during the first turn was insufficient, causing it to stall.

Crash of a Kalinin K-4 in Novopavlovsk: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1932 at 1235 LT

Type of aircraft:

Kalinin K-4

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L228

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kharkiv – Mineralnye Vody – Tbilisi

MSN:

116

YOM:

1929

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

539

Circumstances:

The crew departed Kharkiv to ferry the airplane to its base in Tiflis with an intermediate stop in Mineralnye Vody. After takeoff from Mineralnye Vody Airport, the crew climbed to an altitude of 300-350 metres then continued to the southeast, following the railway track. About 20 minutes into the flight, weather conditions worsened and the visibility was poor due to fog. Rather than returning to Mineralnye Vody, the captain decided to continue and reduced his altitude. He continued vertical to the railway line, sometimes to its left sometimes to its right. Too low, the airplane struck the ground and crashed near the Apollonskaya Station in Novopavlovsk. One mechanic was seriously injured while both other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of the decision of the captain to continue the flight at low altitude in poor visibility due to fog rather than returning to Mineralnye Vody for a safe landing. It was determined that the information transmitted to the crew regarding the weather forecast were not relevant and were thus considered as a contributing factor.

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