Investigation Summary
The flight was a scheduled international service (Flight SU512) originating in Amman and bound for Moscow Sheremetyevo, with scheduled stopovers at Beirut International Airport in Lebanon and Yerevan in the Armenian SSR. During the takeoff roll on runway 24 at Amman-Marka International Airport, the aircraft reached Vr (rotation speed) at 260 km/h. As the nose gear was being raised at 265 km/h, the captain noticed a perceived drop in indicated airspeed and shouted, "What is this?" followed by "Engine failure!" He immediately initiated a rejected takeoff. With only 500 to 550 meters of runway remaining, the Tu-134A could not be stopped. It exited the runway, traveled 290 meters past the threshold, and collided with a one-story reinforced concrete house. The impact destroyed the navigator's cabin and broke the fuselage into three sections. While all 78 passengers survived, two crew members (the navigator and flight radio operator) and seven residents of the house were killed.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the decision to abort the takeoff was unfounded as both engines were operating normally. The primary cause was the pilot's subjective and erroneous perception of a decrease in airspeed at a critical stage of takeoff. A significant contributing factor was the ongoing partial solar eclipse. The Institute of Biomedical Problems noted that the sudden change in light intensity during an eclipse can act as an external inhibitor, increasing body tension and altering muscle tone, which can cause learned actions to become inadequate for the situation.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Airspeed Indicators
Instruments used to display the aircraft's speed relative to the surrounding air; the pilot reported a perceived drop in these readings despite no mechanical fault being found.
Braking System
Used to decelerate the aircraft during the rejected takeoff; however, the remaining runway distance was insufficient to stop the aircraft from its high speed.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was manufactured in 1971 and had 2,822 flight hours at the time of the crash.
- 02The calculated V1 speed for the takeoff was 252 km/h, but the abort was initiated at 265 km/h.
- 03Seven of the nine fatalities were people on the ground inside the struck building.
- 04A partial solar eclipse was occurring in Amman at the exact time of the accident.
- 05Post-crash inspection confirmed that both engines were functioning normally prior to the abort.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Psychological Impact Study
The investigation commission authorized a specialized study by the Institute of Biomedical Problems to examine the impact of solar eclipses on pilot psychology and decision-making, leading to findings on how light intensity changes act as external inhibitors.