Aeroflot Flight 1691

Aeroflot Flight 1691
СССР-42444, the aircraft involved, photographed in April 1974
Accident
Date17 March 1979 (1979-03-17)
SummaryCrashed while attempting to return to airport
SiteNear Vnukovo Airport, Moscow, Soviet Union
53°36′2″N 37°18′32″E / 53.60056°N 37.30889°E / 53.60056; 37.30889
Aircraft
Aircraft typeTupolev Tu-104B
OperatorAeroflot-Ukraine
RegistrationСССР-42444
Flight originMoscow Vnukovo International Airport
DestinationOdessa Central Airport
Passengers113
Crew6
Fatalities58 (57 passengers, 1 crew)
Survivors61

Aeroflot Flight 1691 crashed near Moscow Vnukovo Airport on 17 March 1979 killing 58 of the 119 people on board. The Tupolev Tu-104B operating the flight was overloaded and the crew received a false fire alarm.[1]

Accident sequence

Flight 1691 was due to leave for Odessa at 8:15 local time, but was delayed due to adverse weather conditions at both Odessa and Vnukovo. The Tupolev eventually took off at 19:32 local time. Five seconds after liftoff, the left engine fire alarm sounded in the cockpit. The plane continued climbing, and conducted a series of four turns back towards Vnukovo. The flaps were then deflected by 20 degrees. It then entered the glideslope at 360m and was 50m left of the runway centerline. The aircraft descended rapidly and 2.5 seconds before first impact, the crew moved the throttles to takeoff thrust and left them there, but this did nothing to save the aircraft. The first collision was the left main landing gear with some cables on a road near Vnukovo. The aircraft collided with the ground 1548 metres from the runway threshold. The left engine was torn from the aircraft as it rolled over and a fire broke out. 57 passengers and one stewardess were killed.[2]

Investigation

The board found that the plane was overloaded. Other factors included the lack of communication between the crew and the false fire alarm caused by a mismatch of parts in the engine.[2]

References

  1. ^ ASN Aircraft accident Tupolev 104B СССР-42444 Moskva-Vnukovo Airport (VKO)
  2. ^ a b Катастрофа Ту-104Б Украинского УГА в районе а/п Внуково (борт СССР-42444), 17 марта 1979 года. // AirDisaster.ru – авиационные происшествия, инциденты и авиакатастрофы в СССР ...

External links

  • Aeroflot Flight 1691 at Aviation Safety Network
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