1961 Mineralnye Vody Il-18 crash
| Industry | Airline |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1923 |
| Headquarters | Soviet Union |
| Products | Air transport services |
Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence
The 1961 Mineralnye Vody Il-18 crash was an aviation disaster that took place on December 31, 1961, close to Mineralnye Vody. The incident involved an Ilyushin Il-18V aircraft operated by Aeroflot, resulting in 32 fatalities.
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was an Il-18V bearing the registration CCCP-75757 (factory number 181003202, serial number 032-02), produced in 1961 by MMZ "Znamya Truda". Upon completion, it was delivered to the Main Directorate of the Civil Air Fleet under the Council of Ministers of the USSR and subsequently allocated to the Armenian Separate Air Group GVG. Designed to accommodate 84 passengers, this airliner had accumulated a total of 593 flight hours at the time of the accident and was equipped with four Ivchenko AI-20 engines.
Background
The flight was operating a passenger service originating from Vnukovo Airport, Moscow, destined for Yerevan. Between December 29 and December 31, adverse weather conditions affected the Caucasus region, causing multiple airport closures, including that of Yerevan. Consequently, CCCP-75757 diverted to land at an alternate airfield in Tbilisi. Due to these extended closures, numerous travelers opted to cancel their flights and use ground transportation instead. By December 31, approximately 500 passengers had assembled at Tbilisi airport.
Accident
By the evening of December 31, Mineralnye Vody Airport had resumed operations, leading the Georgian Directorate of the CAF to reach out to the Armenian Separate Air Group. They requested the deployment of two idle Armenian Il-18 aircraft stationed in Tbilisi to operate additional flights to Mineralnye Vody, aiming to alleviate congestion at Tbilisi airport. Initially, Armenian authorities declined but later consented upon realizing that Yerevan airport’s reopening would be delayed.[1]
Among the aircraft chosen was CCCP-75757. Although no formal boarding announcement was made for this extra service, passengers rushed onto the plane in a disorderly manner. Due to the chaotic situation, ticket verification was bypassed, and the boarding ramp was removed while people were still on it. After the ramp’s removal, it was found that two crew members—a flight engineer and one flight attendant—had not yet boarded. Subsequently, an auxiliary ladder was lowered to allow several additional passengers to board.[1]
The Il-18 departed from Tbilisi airport at 16:55. The flight crew comprised Captain Akhdrin Bardzilivosovich Oganesyan, First Officer Asatur Nikolaevich Shabonyan, Navigator Gurgen Vantshevik Shakhbazyan, Flight Engineer Grant Grigorievich Budurov, Radio Operator Roland Agavartovich Mkhitaryan, and trainee radio operator G. K. Nikoghosyan. The cabin personnel included Flight Attendants A. O. Shahatuni, Aleksandra Mikhailovna Proskurina, and Marieta Khasraevna Astatryan. Although the aircraft had seating for 84 passengers, 110 individuals were on board; 26 were either standing or seated in aisles, with some occupying spaces such as the coat closet and galley. The aircraft’s center of gravity was shifted aft to 24.5% MAC, exceeding the prescribed limit by 1%, whereas the operational chart indicated a maximum of 19% MAC.[1]
The Il-18 arrived at Mineralnye Vody without any issues. At that time, cloud cover over the airport was complete, with a cloud base at 120 meters. Visibility stood at 2,000 meters amid light snowfall. Upon initiating the fourth turn (final approach), the plane was positioned 20 kilometers from the airport but had drifted 800–900 meters right of the runway centerline. When closing in to 8 kilometers from the runway, air traffic control using approach radar directed the aircraft back onto its landing path. Consequently, the plane passed over the outer marker—3,850 meters from the runway—on its glide slope with a heading of 117° at an altitude of 250 meters. The controller then inquired whether the crew could visually confirm runway lights; receiving a negative reply prompted the pilots to execute a go-around.[1]
During this go-around maneuver, the Il-18 veered considerably to the right. At 17:58, flying in darkness on a heading of 188° at an altitude of 90 meters relative to the airport elevation, the aircraft collided with a wooded hillside located approximately 3 kilometers southwest of Mineralnye Vody airport. The airplane traveled through forested terrain for about 280 meters before spinning left and igniting in flames. This accident resulted in fatalities including trainee radio operator Nikoghosyan, flight attendant Shahatuni, and 30 passengers.[1]
Causes
The accident resulted from the flight crew's failure to adhere to established protocols for coordination during nighttime landings under challenging weather conditions. The pilots veered considerably to the right while maintaining an altitude of approximately 90 meters, which caused the aircraft to collide with the hillside shortly afterward. This situation was further aggravated by rapidly worsening meteorological conditions, with the last weather update having been communicated about thirty minutes prior. Additionally, the crew's focus was disrupted by air traffic control's inquiry regarding runway visibility, diverting their attention away from critical instrument monitoring.
Another contributing factor was the disorganized boarding process at Tbilisi airport, where passengers entered the aircraft without proper order, resulting in an excess of 26 individuals beyond the intended capacity. The extended delay before takeoff heightened tension among the crew, compounding the overall situation.