Investigation Summary
During a ground inspection at Stalingrad, maintenance crews noticed oil traces on the number 2 engine. Although the engine was cleaned and test-run without a leak being detected, the aircraft suffered a significant failure shortly after departure. While cruising at 2,200 meters, the crew reported a loss of power in the same engine. Unknown to the crew initially, the engine had caught fire. As they diverted to Voronezh, the intense heat compromised the structural integrity of the wing. The investigation determined that a fatigue crack, resulting from a manufacturing defect in the No. 2 cylinder, was the root cause of the fire. The structural failure was so advanced that the engine detached from the airframe mid-air at an altitude of 800 meters, followed by the wing itself. The main wreckage was found 5 km from the airport, with the engine located 185 meters and the wing 550 meters from the fuselage impact site.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the accident was caused by a fatigue crack in a cylinder of the number 2 engine, which led to an uncontained fire. The resulting structural failure of the wing and the detachment of the engine rendered the aircraft uncontrollable during its emergency approach.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Engine Cylinder
A fatigue crack in one cylinder of the Shvetsov ASh-82T radial engine led to the catastrophic fire.
Wing Structure
The structural integrity of the wing was compromised by the intense heat of the engine fire, leading to mid-air separation.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was only one year old at the time of the accident.
- 02A fatigue crack in an engine cylinder was identified as the primary failure point.
- 03The engine fire was intense enough to cause the engine to fall off the wing before the final impact.
- 04All 25 occupants, including crew and passengers, perished in the crash.