| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 18 September 1981 |
| Summary | Mid-air collision resulting from ATC error |
| Site | 11 km (6.9 miles) east of Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy Airport, Soviet Union |
| Total fatalities | 40 |
| Total survivors | 0 |
| First aircraft | |
.jpg) A Yakovlev Yak-40, similar to the aircraft involved in the accident. | |
| Type | Yakovlev Yak-40 |
| Operator | Aeroflot |
| Registration | CCCP-87455 |
| Flight origin | Irkutsk Airport (IKT/UIII), Soviet Union |
| Destination | Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy Airport (UIBV), Soviet Union |
| Passengers | 29 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Second aircraft | |
.jpg) A Mil Mi-8, similar to the aircraft involved in the accident. | |
| Type | Mil Mi-8T |
| Operator | Aeroflot |
| Registration | CCCP-22268 |
| Flight origin | Bratsk Airport (UIBB), Soviet Union |
| Destination | Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy Airport (UIBV), Soviet Union |
| Crew | 7 |
| Survivors | 0 |
The 1981 Zheleznogorsk mid-air collision was an accident involving a Yakovlev Yak-40 jet and a Mil Mi-8T helicopter, both operated by the Russian airline Aeroflot, 11 km (6.9 miles) east of Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy Airport, Soviet Union, on 18 September 1981. None of the combined 40 passengers and crew on either aircraft survived.
Accident
While flight V-652 was inbound to Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy after its flight from Irkutsk on 18 September 1981, a Mil Mi-8T helicopter was also heading for the same airport after having finished its training flight from Bratsk. The crew of flight V-652 initiated their descent to the airport and had to pass through clouds while searching for the runway. When the plane was about 11 km (6.9 miles) East of the airport and at an altitude of 1,300 ft (396 m), it collided with the helicopter who was also descending at 7.13am. Flight V-652 suffered immense damage to its left wing, fuselage and tail section, while the helicopter's main rotor and cockpit were destroyed with serious damage to its fuselage as well. Both aircraft nosedived towards the ground following the collision, and crashed in a wooded hilly terrain 400 meters (1,300 feet) from one another. None of the 29 passengers and 4 crew aboard flight V-652 survived the crash, and all 7 crew on board the Mil Mi-8T helicopter also perished in the disaster.
Aircraft
The Yakovlev Yak-40 involved, CCCP-87455 (msn 9431236) was built in 1974 and was used by Aeroflot from 1974 until its destruction in 1981. The Mil Mi-8T involved, CCCP-22268 (msn 6918) was also in use by Aeroflot at the time of the accident.
Aftermath
The wreckage of both aircraft were completely destroyed in the accident and post-crash fire. An investigation of the accident concluded that the cause lay with the poor surveillance conducted by ATC. The lack of communication between the three parties allowed the Mil Mi-8T helicopter to cross into the approach path of flight V-652.
References
- ^ "Accident Description". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- "Столкновение Як-40 и Ми-8 ВС УГА в районе г.Железногорск-Илимский" [Collision Yak-40 and Mi-8 Zheleznogorsk-Ilimsky] (in Russian). airdisaster.ru. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- "Accident Description". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- "CRASH OF A YAKOVLEV YAK-40 IN ZHELEZNOGORSK: 33 KILLED". aaa-acro.com. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
| Aviation accidents and incidents in 1981 (1981) | |
|---|---|
| Feb 7 Pushkin Tu-104 crashMar 2 Pakistan International Airlines Flight 326Mar 28 Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 206May 2 Aer Lingus Flight 164May 7 Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 901Jun 14 Aeroflot Flight 498Jun 26 Dan-Air Flight 240Jul 18 Armenia mid-air collisionJul 20 Somali Airlines Flight 40Jul 27 Aeroméxico Flight 230Jul 31 Panamanian Air Force Twin Otter crashAug 9 Barrington Tops Cessna 210 disappearanceAug 13 G-ASWI ditchingAug 19 Gulf of Sidra incidentAug 22 Far Eastern Air Transport Flight 103Aug 24 Aeroflot Flight 811Aug 26 Aeropesca Colombia Flight 221Sep 18 Zheleznogorsk mid-air collisionSep 22 Eastern Air Lines Flight 935Sep 29 Indian Airlines Flight 423Sep 29 Iranian Air Force C-130 crashOct 6 NLM CityHopper Flight 431Nov 8 Aeroméxico Flight 110Nov 17 Aeroflot Flight 3603Dec 1 Inex-Adria Flight 1308 | |
| 1980 ◄ ► 1982 |
- Aeroflot accidents and incidents
- Mid-air collisions involving helicopters
- Mid-air collisions involving airliners
- Aviation accidents and incidents caused by air traffic controller error
- 1981 in the Soviet Union
- 1981 in Russia
- September 1981 events in the Soviet Union
- Aviation accidents and incidents in 1981
- Accidents and incidents involving the Yakovlev Yak-40
- Accidents and incidents involving the Mil Mi-8
- Aviation accidents and incidents in the Soviet Union
- 20th-century aviation accidents and incidents in Russia