Aeroflot Flight 191

Aeroflot Flight 191

Industry	Aviation

Template:Unreliable sources Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence Aeroflot Flight 191 was a domestic Soviet passenger service operating from Vnukovo International Airport to Ashgabat International Airport, with an intermediate stop at Krasnovodsk Airport (currently Turkmenbashi International Airport). On March 5, 1963, the Ilyushin Il-18 crashed during its landing approach at Ashgabat International Airport due to a severe dust storm. Of the 54 individuals on board, 12 lost their lives.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was an Il-18V bearing the tail number CCCP-75765 and serial number 181003404. It was manufactured on June 28, 1961, and subsequently assigned to Turkmenistan Airlines. Prior to the accident, the plane had accumulated 2,098 flight hours and completed 1,213 landings.

Accident

The scheduled route for Flight 191 originated at Vnukovo International Airport and included a stopover at Turkmenbashi International Airport before proceeding to Ashgabat International Airport. At 18:04, the flight departed from Turkmenbashi carrying 43 passengers. According to the crew’s weather briefing for Ashgabat, cumulonimbus clouds covered the sky with a base altitude between 600 and 1,000 meters, and visibility ranged from four to ten kilometers. Weather forecasts predicted deterioration after 21:00, including a dust storm accompanied by northwesterly winds of 18–20 m/s, reducing visibility below one kilometer. Based on this forecast, the crew planned to complete their flight before conditions worsened. However, weather conditions deteriorated much earlier than anticipated; by 17:00, Ashgabat’s meteorological service issued updated information. Unfortunately, this revised forecast was not communicated to the crew by the forecaster at Krasnovodsk Airport.

Between five and twenty minutes after departing Krasnovodsk at an altitude of 6,000 meters, the aircraft encountered severe turbulence that forced a course adjustment. At approximately 19:15, air traffic control attempted to inform the crew about a dust storm reducing visibility to just 300 meters. However, heavy radio interference caused by the storm prevented the crew from receiving this critical update. Since visibility remained around five kilometers and conditions were already challenging, the pilots did not seek further weather updates. Additionally, air traffic controllers did not attempt subsequent contact to relay accurate weather information or suggest diversion to an alternate airport.

When positioned about 25 kilometers north of Ashgabat airport, the flight crew initiated their landing approach on a heading of 295°. Strong atmospheric disturbances caused the radio compass to provide erroneous signals concerning navigational aids including the non-directional beacon (NDB). Upon recognizing these inaccuracies, the pilots maneuvered back toward the beacon’s vicinity. After executing their third and fourth turns in holding patterns at approximately 400 meters altitude, they commenced final approach procedures with the first officer assuming control. The crew reported visual contact with runway lighting and began descent toward the runway. During this phase, however, they activated aircraft landing lights—a procedure counterproductive during dust storms as it can create glare that obscures visibility.

As they neared touchdown, sudden exposure to intense turbulence brought winds of 20–25 m/s and reduced visibility drastically to just 30 meters. The aircraft experienced significant rolling motions that disrupted flight instruments. At one point during this unstable descent—approximately seven meters above ground level and about 250 meters from the runway threshold—the left main landing gear struck a six-meter-high runway light while the right gear collided with a seven-meter telegraph pole. Continuing at reduced speed roughly 150 meters from the runway edge, the plane descended further and impacted a reinforced concrete runway light pillar located about 100 meters beyond the initial collision site. With an estimated roll angle of thirty degrees, it proceeded to demolish additional concrete pillars followed by sections of runway fencing before crashing approximately 1,012 meters short of the runway’s end.

During its slide along the ground surface, both wings detached from the fuselage while cockpit areas suffered complete destruction. The fuselage toppled onto its left side as fire engulfed much of the central section of the airplane. All eight crew members stationed in the cockpit perished along with four passengers aboard.

Cause

The disaster's primary factor was operating the flight below the required weather minimums, which led the aircraft into hazardous meteorological conditions. Responsibility was attributed to air traffic controllers for failing to provide the crew with current weather updates or suggesting an alternative airport. Additionally, the controllers made the decision to proceed with landing despite adverse weather. The flight crew also erred by not actively seeking updated meteorological information during the operation.

External links

Detailed accident report at the Aviation Safety Network