Aeroflot Flight 630

Aeroflot Flight 630

Company type	Domestic passenger flight
Industry	Aviation
Defunct	February 24, 1973 (1973-02-24)
Fate	Crashed
Headquarters	Soviet Union , Soviet Union
Products	Passenger air transport

Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence Aeroflot Flight 630 (Russian: Рейс 630 Аэрофлота) was a domestic passenger service in the Soviet Union flying from Dushanbe to Moscow with a scheduled stop at Leninabad (currently Khujand). On 24 February 1973, the plane crashed, resulting in the deaths of all 79 individuals on board, including five children.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was an Ilyushin Il-18V model powered by Ivchenko AI-20K turboprop engines, bearing registration CCCP-75712. It first flew in 1959. Prior to the accident, this aircraft had accumulated a total flight time of 20,404 hours and undergone 9,590 pressurization cycles.

Crash

Upon reaching an altitude of approximately 6,600 m (21,700 ft), the flight was expected to execute a right turn of 60 degrees toward Leninabad. Instead, it deviated by turning only about 10 degrees right and maintained a steady heading at 6,600 m (21,700 ft) altitude for roughly three minutes with the autopilot engaged. Following this period, the autopilot was disengaged and the aircraft initiated a right turn. After completing a turn of roughly 60 degrees, the plane began banking sharply left at an angular velocity between 3 and 4 degrees per second. The bank angle increased to about 90 degrees, after which the aircraft entered a steep left spiral descent with vertical speeds near 100 m/s accompanied by rising normal g-forces. At around 2,200 m (7,200 ft) altitude, structural failure occurred due to excessive dynamic stress. Wreckage scattered across an area measuring approximately 1,200 by 550 m (3,940 by 1,800 ft) and ignited upon impact.Template:Fix/category

Investigation

The inquiry found no evidence of mechanical or structural malfunction aboard the aircraft. Although no definitive conclusion was reached, investigators noted that air traffic control ceased monitoring the flight during its final phase. The USSR Ministry of Aviation Industry attributed the incident primarily to navigational mistakes combined with aggressive left banking and descent maneuvers by the crew, which ultimately resulted in loss of control.Template:Fix/category