Aeroflot Flight 343

Aeroflot

Industry	Airline
Founded	1923 (1923)
Headquarters	Moscow , Soviet Union
Products	Air transport services

Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence

On 29 September 1982, Aeroflot Flight 343, operating as an international passenger service from Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow to Jorge Chávez International Airport, with an intermediate landing at Luxembourg-Findel International Airport, departed the runway during landing, resulting in the deaths of seven individuals on board. The flight was conducted using an Ilyushin Il-62M which experienced a mechanical defect.

Aircraft and crew

The airplane involved was an Ilyushin Il-62M built in 1977, bearing the registration СССP-86470 and serial number 1725234. Prior to the accident, it had accumulated a total flight time of 10,325 hours. The aircraft was powered by four Soloviev D-30KU engines, with thrust reversers installed on engines number 1 and 4.

The flight crew comprised six pilots alongside five cabin attendants:

The captain, aged 47, possessed 9,487 flight hours overall, including 3,168 hours on the Il-62M; the first officer was 55 years old with a total of 10,441 hours flown, of which 3,605 were on the Il-62M; the flight engineer was aged 46 and had logged 7,565 hours in total, including 2,893 on this aircraft type; the radio operator, aged 34, had accumulated 1,282 flight hours entirely on the Il-62M; the navigator was 46 years old with a total of 8,527 hours flown and 2,698 hours specifically on the Il-62M; additionally, there was a flight instructor acting as an extra pilot aged 58 who had amassed 8,701 flight hours overall with 4,102 hours on the Il-62M.

Accident

Aeroflot Flight 343 was an international passenger service operating on a scheduled route from Sheremetyevo International Airport in Russia to Jorge Chávez International Airport in Peru, with intermediate stops at Luxembourg Findel Airport, Luxembourg, and José Martí International Airport, Cuba. At 18:50 GMT (UTC+00:00), weather observations at Luxembourg Findel Airport reported wind speeds of 4 knots (7.4 km/h) originating from 120°, alongside visibility conditions classified as "CAVOK".

The aircraft departed from Moscow at 16:15. At 19:21:33, the flight crew established contact with air traffic control at Luxembourg Findel Airport, confirming visual contact with the runway. They then received clearance to land. Upon touchdown at 19:23:23, the plane veered to the right side of the runway. The pilot lost control as the aircraft exited the runway approximately 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) from the threshold on the right-hand side. Continuing off the paved surface, the aircraft traveled across terrain increasingly distant from the runway. It collided with a partially buried structure before descending into a wooded ravine, coming to rest roughly 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) from the runway threshold and about 200 metres (660 ft) lateral to the runway centerline.

The impact and subsequent fire completely destroyed the aircraft. The building involved sustained minor damage, while surrounding trees were broken and scorched.

Aftermath

Condolences were extended by the Soviet Government to the families and acquaintances of those who lost their lives in the accident.

Investigation

In response to the crash, Luxembourg authorities notified their Soviet counterparts, given that the aircraft was manufactured, registered, and operated under Soviet jurisdiction. The aviation authorities in Luxembourg requested that Belgium’s aeronautical administration lead the investigation. A delegation from the Soviet Union took part in this process. Together with Belgian specialists, technical experts from the Soviet Ministry of Civil Aviation (Soviet Union) conducted detailed examinations of the engines and thrust reverser systems at Luxembourg Findel Airport.

The inquiry concluded that a mechanical malfunction involving the thrust reverser on engine No.1 was likely responsible for the accident:

References

• Rapport d'enquête suite à l'accident survenu à l'aéroport de Luxembourg le 29 septembre 1982 concernant l'avion Ilyushin-62M immatriculé CCCP-86470 [Investigation report following the accident at Luxembourg airport on 29 September 1982 involving the Ilyushin-62M registered CCCP-86470] (PDF). Administration de l'Aéronautique [Aeronautical Administration] (Report) (in français). Brussels, Belgium: Ministère des Communications. 10 June 1983. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2017 – via the Administration for Technical Investigations.