Aeroflot Flight 811
| Company type | State-owned airline |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation |
| Founded | 1923 |
| Headquarters | Moscow , Soviet Union |
Area served | Soviet Union (domestic flights) |
| Products | Passenger air transport |
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Aeroflot Flight 811 was a domestic passenger service within the Soviet Union, operating between Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Blagoveshchensk. On 24 August 1981, it was involved in a mid-air collision with a Tupolev Tu-16K strategic bomber over the Zavitinsky District in Amur Oblast, then part of the Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia). The accident occurred at an altitude of approximately 5,220 metres (17,130 ft), resulting in the deaths of all but one of the 37 individuals aboard both aircraft. The lone survivor was Larisa Savitskaya, a 20-year-old passenger on Flight 811, who was found three days after the incident.
Background and collision
The Antonov An-24RV took off from Komsomolsk-on-Amur at 14:56 local time, following a delay of about four hours caused by adverse weather conditions.Template:Fix/category[citation needed] The flight crew included pilot-in-command Alexander Mirgorodsky, co-pilot Valery Shevelev, navigator Fedosy Kryzhanovsky, flight engineer Nikolai Dimitriyev, and flight attendant Galina Borisova.Template:Fix/category[citation needed] Among the passengers was a single child; Larisa Savitskaya and her husband Vladimir were returning from their honeymoon.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
Prior to the flight, air traffic control was notified that military aircraft would be operating within the local airspace at altitudes ranging from 4,200 -4500[convert: unknown unit].Template:Fix/category[citation needed] On that same day, two Tupolev Tu-16Ks departed Zavitinsk air base at approximately 16:00 and 16:01 local time for meteorological reconnaissance missions. At around 16:21, one of these bombers (serial number 6203106) collided with the Aeroflot Antonov An-24 about 70 kilometres (43 mi) east of the base.Template:Fix/category[citation needed] The collision happened under clear daylight with visibility exceeding 10 kilometres (6.2 mi).Template:Fix/category[citation needed] At that moment, Savitskaya was asleep.[1] The Tupolev's impact tore off the roof and both wings of the An-24.[1] Inside the cabin, temperatures plummeted from approximately 25[convert: needs unit name] down to about −30[convert: needs unit name] °C.[2] Both aircraft broke apart and crashed into the taiga forest. Wreckage from the An-24 was dispersed southwestward over an area measuring roughly [convert: invalid number], with debris located up to [convert: invalid number] from the point of impact. The Tu-16K exploded upon ground contact, scattering fragments around [convert: invalid number] away from where it collided mid-air.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
During the eight-minute descent, Savitskaya remained conscious.[1] Her survival is attributed in part to being inside a roughly [convert: invalid number] fragment of the aircraft that began to glide[2] and ultimately landed on a soft, swampy clearing. She also braced herself against her seat using her hands and feet, possibly attempting to lessen the force of impact according to her own account.[1] Despite this, she lost consciousness briefly upon hitting the ground.[1] Her injuries included a concussion, fractures to an arm and rib, as well as spinal trauma.[1]
Investigation
The inquiry determined that the flight operations director at Zavitinsk air base failed to utilize radar support to monitor the Tupolev aircraft, which directly led to the crash. Furthermore, inadequate coordination between civilian and military air traffic controllers was identified, stemming from deficient air traffic regulations. Military prosecutors assigned blame for the incident to the crews of both planes.
Aftermath
Initial Soviet media coverage of the accident was heavily censored, falsely reporting that Savitskaya had crashed while piloting a homemade glider. The KGB instructed her to keep the true details confidential; she did not publicly discuss the event until 11 January 2001 in Moscow. Aeroflot compensated Savitskaya with 75 Soviet rubles (equivalent to $20).
Portrayal in films
The One (Russian: Одна, romanized: Odna, lit. 'Alone') is a 2022 Russian disaster-survival adventure movie written, co-produced, and directed by Dmitry Suvorov. It depicts Savitskaya's life story, the disaster itself, and her subsequent rescue. Russian actress Nadezhda Kaleganova portrays Savitskaya, who attended the film’s premiere.
See also
References
External links
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