601
1983-DEC-24 · Leshukonskoye Airport, Russian SSR

Aeroflot — Flight 601

Aeroflot Flight 601 stalled and crashed during a late go-around attempt at Leshukonskoye Airport. After deviating significantly to the left during the final approach, the captain attempted to correct the flight path at a low altitude rather than aborting. When a go-around was finally initiated at just 30 meters, the aircraft entered a critical slip angle, stalled, and struck the ground with a 90 degree left bank.

Aircraft
Antonov An-24RV
Registration
CCCP-46617
Phase
Approach
Cause
Pilot Error
Souls on Board
49
Fatalities
44
Origin → Dest
Talagi Airport, Arkhangelsk, Russian SSR → Leshukonskoye Airport, Leshukonskoye, Russian SSR
Report
Final

Investigation Summary

The approach was conducted in poor weather conditions, including drizzle and a visibility of 5 kilometers. At 16 kilometers from the airport, the crew configured the aircraft for landing, eventually setting the flaps to 38 degrees. During the descent, the aircraft drifted 490 meters to the left of the centerline. Instead of performing a standard missed approach, the captain attempted to maneuver back to the runway. By the time the decision to go around was made at 30 meters (98 feet), the aircraft was in a precarious aerodynamic state. The retraction of landing gear and subsequent flap changes, combined with aggressive banking, led to a loss of control. The aircraft stalled and rolled into a vertical bank before impacting 110 meters to the right of the runway.

Final Conclusions

The investigation concluded that the primary cause was pilot error, specifically the captain's risky piloting style and violation of flight instructions. The crew failed to initiate a go-around when the aircraft first deviated from the approach path, choosing instead to attempt a landing from an unstable position. The late decision to abort the landing at an extremely low altitude resulted in a stall and roll from which recovery was impossible.

Photographic Evidence (1)

Boarding a special flight to Bykovo set up for our party of photographers and spotters
© AlainDurand · Wikimedia Commons

Video Analysis

No video analysis linked for this case file yet.

Systems & Failure Modes

i

Flaps

The crew made several rapid flap adjustments (38 to 15 to 8 degrees) during the low-altitude go-around attempt, contributing to the stall.

i

Landing Gear

Retracted during the late go-around attempt at 30 meters altitude.

Interesting Facts

  • 01The aircraft was an Antonov An-24RV with registration CCCP-46617.
  • 02There were 49 people on board, including 5 crew members and 44 passengers.
  • 03Only 4 passengers and 1 flight attendant survived the crash.
  • 04Weather at the time included drizzle, 5km visibility, and a temperature of 0°C.
  • 05The investigation found no fault with air traffic control services.

Safety Actions & Advisories

Adherence to Go-Around Criteria

The investigation emphasized the necessity of initiating a go-around immediately upon reaching established deviation limits rather than attempting to salvage an unstable approach.

Location

Leshukonskoye Airport, Russian SSR · 64.8958, 45.7228

Case File History

  1. CorrectionUpdated event timeline.
  2. CorrectionUpdated event timeline.

Related Cases

Case ID · aeroflot-601-1983Last updated · Filed

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