Investigation Summary
The aircraft involved in the accident was manufactured at the Kuibyshev Aircraft Plant in December 1964 and had been transferred to the Sheremetyevo Flight Detachment just months before the crash. On the night of the accident, the flight was scheduled to depart Moscow for Brazzaville with stopovers in Conakry and Accra. During the takeoff roll in darkness and poor weather, the aircraft's landing gear struck a snowbank that had not been properly cleared from the runway. The resulting asymmetric drag and impact caused the aircraft to veer off the runway, strike obstacles, and disintegrate. The crash resulted in 21 fatalities, while 45 others survived the impact and subsequent fire.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the primary cause of the accident was the decision to attempt a takeoff from a runway that had not been sufficiently cleared of snow. The presence of snowbanks on the runway surface led to the landing gear striking an obstruction at high speed, causing a loss of control. Contributing factors included poor coordination between airport maintenance services and air traffic control regarding the actual state of the runway, as well as the crew's decision to proceed with the takeoff under marginal conditions.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Landing Gear
The tricycle landing gear struck a snowbank during the high-speed takeoff roll, creating asymmetric drag that pulled the aircraft off the runway.
Kuznetsov NK-12MV Engines
The four turboprop engines were operating normally until the aircraft impacted ground obstacles and the airframe disintegrated.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was manufactured on December 16, 1964.
- 02At the time of the crash, the aircraft had only 93 flight hours and 19 landings.
- 03The aircraft was operated by the Sheremetyevo Flight Detachment.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Runway Maintenance Standards
Following the accident, Soviet aviation authorities implemented stricter requirements for runway clearing and inspection during winter operations, emphasizing that no takeoff should be cleared until the entire width of the runway is confirmed free of snowbanks.
ATC and Ground Service Coordination
Procedures were updated to ensure better communication between ground maintenance crews and air traffic controllers to prevent aircraft from being cleared for departure on runways with known hazards.