Aeroflot Flight 6263

Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence

Aeroflot Flight 6263 operated as a domestic scheduled service traveling from Krasnodar International Airport to Perm International Airport, with intermediate stops at Volgograd International Airport, Saratov Tsentralny Airport, and Kazan International Airport. Shortly before its planned arrival in Perm on 21 January 1973, the aircraft entered a steep descending spin and crashed in the Bolshesosnovsky District, roughly 91 km (57 mi) from its destination. Although four individuals initially survived the impact out of the 39 occupants aboard, all succumbed to exposure before rescue teams reached the crash site.

Aircraft

The airplane involved was an Antonov An-24B bearing the registration CCCP-46276. It had its maiden flight in 1967.

Accident

Around fifteen minutes prior to landing at Perm, while flying at an altitude near 5,400 metres (17,700 ft), the plane entered a rapid downward spiral, accelerating to speeds close to 1,000 kilometres per hour (620 mph). The intense g-forces caused structural failure, resulting in an in-flight breakup at approximately 2,700 metres (8,900 ft) altitude. The wreckage settled upside down on deep snow within Bolshesosnovsky District, about 91 kilometres (57 mi) away from Perm. Initially, four of the 39 people onboard survived the crash; however, all had died from cold exposure by the time emergency responders arrived.

The investigation was unable to definitively establish the reason behind the accident. Evidence suggestive of a missile detonation was discovered, including fragments of green paint not matching the aircraft’s colors. Nevertheless, the Soviet Ministry of Defence denied conducting any military exercises in that region during the incident timeframe.