An Aeroflot Yak-40, similar to the accident aircraft | |
Accident | |
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Date | 15 August 1975 |
Summary | Downdraft during approach |
Site | 4 km south of Krasnovodsk Airport, Krasnovodsk, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | Yakovlev Yak-40 |
Operator | Aeroflot |
Registration | CCCP-87323 |
Flight origin | Baku-Bina International Airport, Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union |
Destination | Krasnovodsk Airport, Krasnovodsk, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union |
Passengers | 34 |
Crew | 4 |
Fatalities | 23 |
Survivors | 15 |
Aeroflot Flight A-53 was a commercial flight from Baku to Krasnovodsk. It crashed on approach due to poor weather. It is the second deadliest plane crash in Turkmenistan, behind Aeroflot Flight 112.
At 21:37 Moscow time the crew made contact with approach control which authorized a descent from 4,500 metres (14,800 ft). By 21:54 the aircraft had descended to 500 metres (1,600 ft) and the crew was informed of rough weather. At an altitude of 300 metres (980 ft) the plane was in a headwind with flaps extended at 35° and engines below maximum thrust causing the speed to fall from 260 km/h (140 kn) to 210-200 km/h (110 kn) and the descent rate to increase. Thrust was increased but the descent continued due to a downdraft. The plane entered a left bank of 40° and hit a rocky cliff, tearing off the right wing and engine. It then bounced before crashing and catching fire.
The plane entered a downdraft which caused a loss of speed and altitude. This was made possible by a lack of knowledge on part of the meteorologist and the absence of a system that could have detected this phenomenon. The crew's inexperience also contributed to the accident.
Aviation accidents and incidents in 1975 (1975) | |
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Jan 9 Golden West Airlines Flight 261Jan 17 Kjalarnes helicopter crashJan 30 Turkish Airlines Flight 345Mar 31 Royal Nepal Airlines Pilatus PC-6 Porter crashApr 4 Tân Sơn Nhứt C-5 accidentJun 24 Eastern Air Lines Flight 66Aug 3 Agadir Royal Air Maroc Boeing 707 crashAug 15 Aeroflot Flight A-53Aug 20 ČSA Flight 540Aug 30 Wien Air Alaska Flight 99Sep 1 Interflug Flight 1107Sep 24 Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 150Sep 30 Malév Flight 240Oct 14 Żabbar Avro Vulcan crashOct 30 Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 450Nov 12 Overseas National Airways Flight 032Nov 29 Graham Hill plane crashDec 23 South African Air Force Alouette crash | |
1974 ◄ ► 1976 |