Aeroflot Flight 19

Aeroflot Flight 19
Company type	Passenger flight service
Industry	Aviation
Founded	November 2, 1973; 53 years ago
Headquarters	Moscow, Soviet Union
Area served	Moscow to Bryansk route

Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence

Aeroflot Flight 19 was a regularly scheduled passenger service flying from Bykovo Airport in Moscow to Bryansk Airport in Bryansk. On November 2, 1973, a Yakovlev Yak-40 aircraft assigned to this route was seized by four hijackers approximately ten minutes before its intended landing. The plane was subsequently redirected to Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport, where the hijackers demanded a ransom and requested transportation to Sweden. After authorities launched an assault on the aircraft, all hostages were freed. This event stands as one of the earliest documented cases of a successful storming of a hijacked plane within the borders of the USSR.

Aircraft

The airplane involved was a Yak-40 model manufactured by the Saratov Aviation Plant in July 1971. It was delivered to the Soviet Union's Ministry of Civil Aviation and registered under CCCP-87607. The aircraft was assigned to the Civil Aviation Administration responsible for Central Districts, likely operating under Aeroflot’s Bryansk division.

Crew

The flight was commanded by Captain Ivan Kashin (aged 36), who was among the pioneering aviators trained to operate the Yak-40. He completed his training at the Sasovo Civil Aviation School in 1957. Supporting him were First Officer Stanislav Talpekin and Flight Engineer Nikolai Nikitin.

Departure

The flight was a standard domestic service, designated F-19 (Ф-19), operating from Bykovo Airport in Moscow to Bryansk Airport. The Yak-40 took off from Moscow at 10:45 local time, carrying 28 passengers alongside 3 crew members. The scheduled duration for the journey to Bryansk was approximately 50 minutes.

Hijacking

Approximately ten minutes before reaching Bryansk Airport, four male hijackers—Viktor Romanov, Vladimir Zhalnin, Pyotr Bondarev, and Aleksandr Nikiforov—produced firearms from the overhead compartments and seized passengers as hostages before attempting to breach the cockpit. Sounds of commotion in the cabin alerted the flight crew. Captain Kashin instructed his flight engineer to assess the situation inside the cabin. Once Nikitin realized that hijackers were present, he immediately alerted the flight crew and secured the cockpit door from the outside. The flight engineer tried to subdue Romanov but was wounded by Zhalnin. Additionally, passenger Vladimir Gaponenko attempted to disarm Bondarev but was injured after losing balance due to turbulence.

Inside the cockpit, Captain Kashin sent a distress call to air traffic control. Despite this, the hijackers successfully forced open the cockpit door and entered. They demanded that the crew return to Moscow. During their approach to Vnukovo Airport, the hijackers compelled the crew to notify authorities of their demand for a ransom of US$1.5 million for all hostages, as well as intelligence regarding future hijacking groups. Despite adverse weather conditions in Moscow, the Yak-40 was safely landed at Vnukovo.

On the ground

KGB Chairman and future Soviet leader Yuri Andropov, along with Interior Minister Nikolai Shchelokov, promptly arrived at Vnukovo and began formulating a plan to resolve the hostage crisis.

The hijackers released two injured hostages, Nikitin and Gaponenko, from the aircraft. Subsequently, they presented additional demands: permission to refuel the plane and receipt of half of the ransom in exchange for releasing half of the hostages. Their intention was to fly to Leningrad, free more hostages there, refuel sufficiently for a flight to Sweden, and then proceed accordingly. However, authorities decided against allowing the aircraft to depart Moscow and opted instead for an assault on the plane. A team of volunteer police officers—Mikhail Lyakhmanov, Vladimir Rakov, Aleksandr Mushkarin, Nikolai Kapustin, and Aleksandr Popryadukhin—was assembled for this operation. The group covertly approached and concealed themselves beneath the aircraft near its front landing gear.

After several hours of waiting, the hijackers were informed that ransom money was ready for transfer. Initially planned to be carried by a KGB officer using a suitcase filled with counterfeit banknotes, this task was declined last minute by that officer and instead assigned to a transport police officer.

Hearing activity beneath the Yak-40, the hijackers assumed that payment had arrived. When Nikiforov opened the door, Sergeant Rakov pressed a pike pole against it. Zhalnin responded by firing at police officers who returned fire; Nikiforov was shot and severely wounded, later dying in hospital. Simultaneously, an armored personnel carrier approached and unleashed machine gun fire on the aircraft, which sustained roughly 90 bullet impacts. Tear gas grenades were deployed; however, one smoke bomb became lodged between seats causing upholstery to ignite. As smoke filled the cabin, panic ensued among passengers who began fleeing. Bondarev and Zhalnin escaped alongside passengers while Romanov took his own life. The assault resulted in injuries to two passengers but no fatalities.

Outcome for the Hijackers

The two hijackers who survived were later taken into custody. Zhalnin, aged 16 at the time, received a prison sentence of 10 years and passed away shortly after his release. Pyotr Bondarev was declared mentally unfit following intervention by his parents and was confined to a psychiatric hospital for six months. He died in Moscow in 2006.

Recognition of the Crew

On 19 December 1973, during a ceremony held in Moscow, police officer Aleksandr Popryadukhin and captain Ivan Kashin were honored with the title Hero of the Soviet Union in recognition of their bravery.

Aircraft’s Subsequent History

The Yak-40 was promptly repaired and returned to service. In 1987, ownership of the plane transferred to the Ministry of General Machine Building and it was assigned to TsNIIMash. The aircraft has since been dismantled.

Security Measures Implemented

Following the hijacking incident involving Flight 19, airport passenger screening procedures across the Soviet Union were significantly enhanced and tightened. Additionally, specialized units were established to address terrorism within the country.

References

External links

Image of the Yak-40 shortly after the aircraft was stormed

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