UTair Flight 471

UTair Aviation
Industry	Airline
Headquarters	Surgut, Russia
Products	Air transport services

Template:Infobox Airliner accident UTair Flight 471 was a scheduled domestic flight operated by a Tupolev Tu-134 aircraft on 17 March 2007. During its approach to Samara Kurumoch Airport, the plane impacted the terrain short of the runway, causing it to bounce, detach a wing, and overturn onto its back. Among the 50 passengers and seven crew members aboard, six lost their lives and twenty sustained injuries as the aircraft broke apart. The flight originated from the Siberian city of Surgut, with an intermediate stop at Samara before continuing to its final destination in Belgorod.

Background

The aircraft involved was a Tupolev Tu-134 passenger jet operated by UTair Aviation. On the day of the incident, it was reported to be carrying fifty passengers along with seven crew members. The flight was a domestic service departing from Surgut Airport, serving routes between Surgut in Siberia and Belgorod, with a scheduled layover at Samara.

Event

While attempting to land at Samara Kurumoch Airport under conditions of dense fog, the aircraft touched down approximately 400 metres (1,300 ft; 440 yd) short of the designated runway threshold. This premature touchdown caused the plane to bounce and subsequently flip over. The crash occurred around 10:45 a.m. local time (06:45 GMT), resulting in six fatalities and twenty-six injuries. Notably, the aircraft did not catch fire following the accident.

Emergency response

Medical facilities in Samara and the nearby city of Tolyatti admitted at least 23 individuals, with six of them reported to be in critical condition.Template:Fix/category^{[citation needed]} Rescue teams worked for three hours to extricate six people who were trapped within the debris.^[1] Additionally, 23 individuals who were not physically harmed received psychological support at the airport.^[1]

Investigation

Transport authorities and prosecutors promptly initiated a comprehensive inquiry into the incident.^[2] On the day of the crash, investigators retrieved both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder and analyzed them to identify the accident’s cause.^[3] Officials conducting the investigation in Samara indicated that adverse weather conditions combined with pilot error were considered the most probable factors.^[4]

Preliminary examination of the flight data recorder revealed no signs of technical failure prior to the incident. The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) confirmed that both engines were functioning normally until impact. The aircraft was configured for landing, with the landing gear deployed and flaps set at 30 degrees, and it had not sustained any inflight fire or damage.^[5]

The official MAK investigation concluded,^[6] attributing responsibility to both airport personnel, who failed to timely notify the pilot about deteriorating visibility due to organizational shortcomings, and to the pilot, who did not provide accurate information regarding his landing path to air traffic control and consequently did not abort the landing or attempt a go-around at the appropriate moment.

UTair's reaction

Shortly after the accident, UTair released a statement affirming that the aircraft was in sound technical order and suggested that foggy weather was likely a contributing factor.Template:Fix/category^{[citation needed]} The airline also emphasized that the flight crew was experienced and highly qualified.Template:Fix/category^{[citation needed]} UTair announced compensation payments of US$75,000 for each family of those who lost their lives.Template:Fix/category^{[citation needed]}

Prosecution

Both the aircraft's captain and first officer faced trial at a regional court in Samara, accused of negligence resulting in the fatalities of two or more individuals. The court handed down a six-year prison term to the captain, while the co-pilot received a two-year sentence. However, these sentences were subsequently suspended.

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Seven die in Russian air crash – Al Jazeera English – Obtained March 17, 2007. Archived March 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
↑ Passenger jet crash landing in central Russia kills 7 people Archived May 19, 2007, at archive.today – 570news.com – Obtained March 17, 2007.
↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Sky2
↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EdmontonSun
↑ Flight International 27 March 2007
↑ MAK investigation conclusion (Russian) Archived 2011-01-24 at the Wayback Machine

External links

Template:Tupolev Tu-16 family Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in 2007 Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in Russia in the 2000s

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[aljazeera-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Seven die in Russian air crash – Al Jazeera English – Obtained March 17, 2007. Archived March 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine

[570News-2] Passenger jet crash landing in central Russia kills 7 people Archived May 19, 2007, at archive.today – 570news.com – Obtained March 17, 2007.

[Sky2-3] Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Sky2

[EdmontonSun-4] Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EdmontonSun

[5] Flight International 27 March 2007

[6] MAK investigation conclusion (Russian) Archived 2011-01-24 at the Wayback Machine

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