Aeroflot Flight U-45
| Industry | Airline |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1923 |
| Headquarters | Moscow , Soviet Union |
| Products | Air transport services |
| Website | www |
Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence
Aeroflot Flight U-45 was a scheduled passenger service operated with an Ilyushin Il-18 that tragically crashed while on approach to Samarkand on Friday, 6 February 1970. The accident resulted in 92 fatalities out of the 106 occupants. Investigations determined that the aircraft descended below the established minimum obstacle clearance altitude (MOCA) during its approach phase to Samarkand International Airport.
Accident
Flight U-45 operated a domestic route between Tashkent and Samarkand. The Il-18 departed from Tashkent International Airport at 14:11 Moscow time, ascending to a cruising altitude of 5,100 meters amidst instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). At 14:33:47, air traffic control (ATC) contacted the flight, authorizing a descent to 2,700 meters and reporting the aircraft was 93 kilometers from Samarkand Airport. Shortly after, at 14:35:45, ATC informed the crew that runway 27 would be used for approach; however, due to a shift in wind direction, this was changed at 14:36:22 to runway 09. By 14:38:26, ATC updated the distance to the airport as 53 kilometers.[1][2][3]
As the flight neared Samarkand, it switched radio frequencies and established contact with the airport’s approach controller. At 14:39:13, the controller advised that the plane was approximately 48 kilometers from the airport and approved descent to 2,400 meters. However, a misinterpretation of radar data by the controller led to an erroneous position report of 31 kilometers from the airport when in reality it was between 42 and 44 kilometers away. This mistake caused the aircraft to initiate descent prematurely before clearing a mountainous area. The controller then cleared Flight U-45 for landing on runway 09, which the crew acknowledged at 14:40:09. This was their final communication. At about 14:42:00, flying at an altitude of roughly 1,500 meters and located 32 kilometers northeast of Samarkand Airport, the Il-18 collided with a mountainside at approximately 380 km/h while descending at seven meters per second. The impact fragmented the aircraft into five sections. Fourteen people survived—comprising the co-pilot and thirteen passengers who sustained injuries—while seven crew members and eighty-five passengers lost their lives.[1][2][3]
Aircraft
The airplane involved in the incident was an Ilyushin Il-18B, bearing the serial number 182004303 and registered under the designation CCCP-75798 with Aeroflot. This particular aircraft was completed on 29 January 1962 and had accumulated a total of 12,885 flight hours along with 4,968 cycles of takeoff and landing prior to the accident.
Investigation
The investigation revealed that the main factor leading to the accident was the approach controller's incorrect interpretation of the radar screen, particularly due to a failure to recognize the scale setting in use. Additionally, it was observed that the radar display featured a dark resolution which, combined with high ambient lighting conditions, impaired visibility. Further contributing elements were identified, including inadequate organizational structure and insufficient training levels among air traffic control personnel at Samarkand International Airport. Although the Il-18 was equipped with onboard radar, its functionality was severely compromised by adverse weather, forcing the flight crew to depend heavily on information from air traffic control. At 14:39:13, the crew received information indicating their distance from the airport as 48 kilometers; however, only 37 seconds later, the controller reported a distance of 31 kilometers. Covering 17 kilometers within that short interval would have required an unrealistic speed of roughly 1600 km/h for the Il-18. Regrettably, the crew did not recognize this discrepancy and proceeded with their descent into mountainous terrain.
See also
References
Template:Aeroflot Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1970 Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in the Soviet Union in the 1970s Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in Uzbekistan