Aeroflot Flight 1080

1978 aviation accident

Aeroflot Flight 1080
Accident
An Aeroflot Yakovlev Yak-40, similar to the one involved in the crash
Date	7 October 1978 (1978-10-07)
Summary	Engine failure after takeoff
Site	7.5 km southwest of Sverdlovsk-Koltsovo Airport, Sverdlovsk Oblast, USSR
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Yakovlev Yak-40
Operator	Aeroflot
Registration	CCCP-87437
Flight origin	Sverdlovsk-Koltsovo Airport, Russian SFSR
Stopover	Kostanay-Narimanovka Airport, Kostanay Region, Kazakh SSR
Destination	Taraz Airport, Kazakh SSR
Passengers	34
Crew	4
Fatalities	38
Survivors	0

Aeroflot Flight 1080 was a Soviet domestic passenger flight from Yekaterinburg, Russia, to Kostanay, Kazakhstan, that crashed at night shortly after takeoff on 7 October 1978. All 38 passengers and crew were killed in the crash which occurred when one of the engines failed due to icing during initial climb out. At the time, the crash was the second worst in the history of the Yakovlev Yak-40, which had entered operational service with Aeroflot just ten years prior.^[1]^[2]

Aircraft and flight

The Yak-40 involved in the accident, registration CCCP-87437, had entered service in 1974 and had just shy of 6,300 operating hours on the airframe at the time of the accident. Flight 1080 was being operated by the Kazakh Civil Aviation Administration under Aeroflot. It had 34 passengers, which included four children, and four crew on board during the flight of 7 October 1978. The crew consisted of two pilots, a flight mechanic, and a stewardess. It was flying a domestic route from Sverdlovsk-Koltsovo Airport in Yekaterinburg, Russia, to Kostanay Airport in northern Kazakhstan.^[3] On the night of the accident, the sky was cloudy and there were light rainy conditions in addition to an air temperature of 5 °C.

Accident

At 19:48 YEKT on 7 October 1978, Aeroflot Flight 1080 commenced its takeoff roll on runway 26 at Sverdlovsk-Koltsovo Airport. Due to the presence of a crosswind and the fact that the aircraft was loaded beyond its maximum weight capacity, it took off at a speed of 205 km/h (110 kn). At 19:50, the crew reported to air traffic control that its left engine had failed.

Just one hundred meters off the ground, the aircraft began turning to the left. At 19:51, controllers observed a flash and a fire on a forested hillside close to the airport. The aircraft had struck trees while it was still 23 meters (75 ft) in the air and hit the ground shortly after, destroying the airframe and detaching the flight's tail and rear stabilizers. All 38 people aboard Flight 1080 were killed in the catastrophe.^[4]

Investigation

The Soviet State Research Institute of Civil Aviation accident commission determined the crash to be the fault of the crew. The aircraft was loaded beyond its specified limits, consequently requiring additional thrust on takeoff. The crew failed to take into account icing conditions which were present at the time of the accident. All three engines had been affected by a buildup of ice. The left engine failed shortly after takeoff and the right and middle produced insufficient levels of power. The commission also cited air traffic control's failure to point out nearby terrain after giving the aircraft clearance to turn left after takeoff at an altitude of just one hundred meters as a contributing factor to the accident.^[4]

References

^ Pike, John (2018-01-25). "Yak-40 Codling (YAKOVLEV)". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
^ Ranter, Harro (1978-10-07). "ASN Aircraft accident Yakovlev Yak-40 CCCP-87437 Sverdlovsk-Koltsovo Airport (SVX)". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
^ "Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-40 in Sverdlovsk: 38 killed". Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. 1978-10-07. Archived from the original on 2018-01-26. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
^ ^a ^b "Катастрофа Як-40 Казахского УГА близ а/п Кольцово" [Accident of the Yak-40 of the Kazakh UGA near the Koltsovo airport]. www.airdisaster.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2018-01-25.

Aeroflot

Part of the SkyTeam alliance

Subsidiaries

Active	Pobeda Rossiya
Inactive	Dobrolet Donavia Orenair SAT Airlines Vladivostok Air
Exited	Aurora Nordavia (now Smartavia)

Fleet

Accidents and
incidents

1950s	Flight 31 (1955) 1957 Kiev mid-air collision Flight 04 Тu-104 Kanash crash Flight 120 Flight 200 Flight 315
1960s	Flight 315 Flight 207 Flight 036 Flight 068 Flight 245 Flight 902 Flight 415 Flight 03 Flight 213 Flight 191 Flight 25 Flight 012 Flight 366 Flight 663 Flight 721 Flight 101/X-20 Flight 542 Flight 513 Flight 99 Flight 065 Flight 2723 Flight 5003 Flight 2230 Flight L-51 Flight 1668 Flight 15 Flight 831 Flight N-826
1970s	Flight U-45 Flight 1661 Flight 3630 CCCP-11000 crash CCCP-12996 crash Flight 1969 Flight 1912 Flight 773 Flight 2174 Flight 1491 Flight 558 Flight 1036 Flight 217 Flight 6263 Flight 141 Flight 630 Flight 6551 Flight 109 Flight A-13 Flight 3932 Flight 964 Flight 19 Flight 2022 CCCP-75559 crash Flight 662 Flight 2003 Flight 3739 Flight 909 Flight 1802 Flight 418 Flights 7957 and 31 (1976) Flight 2415 Flight N-36 Flight 3843 Flight 5003 Flight 331 Flight B-2 Flight 6709 Flight 1080 Flight 1691 Flights 7628 and 7880 Flight 5484
1980s	Flight 4225 Flight 498 Flight 811 Flight 3603 Flight 8641 Flight 411 Flight 343 Flight 5463 Flight 601 Flight 3352 Flight 3519 Flight 7841 1985 Zolochiv mid-air collision Flight 5143 Flight 101/435 Flight 2306 Flight 6502 Flight 892 Flight U-505 Flight N-528 Flight 699 Flight 3739
since 1990s	CCCP-46472 crash Flight 2808 Flight 593 Flight 521 Flight 821 Flight 1492

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in 1978 (1978)
Jan 1 Air India Flight 855 Feb 11 Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314 Feb 17 British Army Gazelle downing Mar 1 Continental Airlines Flight 603 Mar 3 LAV HS 748 accident Mar 9 China Airlines Flight 831 Mar 13 United Airlines Flight 696 Mar 16 Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 107 Apr 20 Korean Air Lines Flight 902 May 8 National Airlines Flight 193 May 19 Aeroflot Flight 6709 May 23 1978 Yegoryevsk Tu-144 crash Jun 21 Iranian Chinook shootdown Jun 26 Air Canada Flight 189 Jun 26 Helikopter Service Flight 165 Aug 9 Olympic Airways Flight 411 Aug 30 LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165 hijacking Sep 3 Air Rhodesia Flight 825 Sep 7 Air Ceylon Avro 748 4R-ACJ bombing Sep 25 Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 Sep 26 Air Caribbean Flight 309 Sep 30 Finnair Flight 405 Oct 3 Finnish Air Force DC-3 crash Oct 7 Aeroflot Flight 1080 Oct 21 Valentich disappearance Nov 15 Loftleiðir Flight 001 Dec 17 Indian Airlines Flight 403 Dec 20 Indian Airlines Flight 410 Dec 21 TWA Flight 541 Dec 22 Cessna 188 Pacific rescue Dec 23 Alitalia Flight 4128 Dec 28 United Airlines Flight 173
1977 ◄ ► 1979

Aviation accidents and incidents in 1978 (1978)

Jan 1

Air India Flight 855

Feb 11

Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314

Feb 17

British Army Gazelle downing

Mar 1

Continental Airlines Flight 603

Mar 3

LAV HS 748 accident

Mar 9

China Airlines Flight 831

Mar 13

United Airlines Flight 696

Mar 16

Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 107

Apr 20

Korean Air Lines Flight 902

May 8

National Airlines Flight 193

May 19

Aeroflot Flight 6709

May 23

1978 Yegoryevsk Tu-144 crash

Jun 21

Iranian Chinook shootdown

Jun 26

Air Canada Flight 189

Jun 26

Helikopter Service Flight 165

Aug 9

Olympic Airways Flight 411

Aug 30

LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165 hijacking

Sep 3

Air Rhodesia Flight 825

Sep 7

Air Ceylon Avro 748 4R-ACJ bombing

Sep 25

Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182

Sep 26

Air Caribbean Flight 309

Sep 30

Finnair Flight 405

Oct 3

Finnish Air Force DC-3 crash

Oct 7

Aeroflot Flight 1080

Oct 21

Valentich disappearance

Nov 15

Loftleiðir Flight 001

Dec 17

Indian Airlines Flight 403

Dec 20

Indian Airlines Flight 410

Dec 21

TWA Flight 541

Dec 22

Cessna 188 Pacific rescue

Dec 23

Alitalia Flight 4128

Dec 28

United Airlines Flight 173

1977 ◄ ► 1979

Aviation accidents and incidents in the Soviet Union

1930s	Osoaviakhim-1 SSSR-V6 Osoaviakhim
1940s	1948 Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-12 crash
1950s	1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash LOT Polish Airlines Flight 232 1957 Kiev mid-air collision Aeroflot Flight 04 1958 Aeroflot Tu-104 Kanash crash Aeroflot Flight 315 (1959) Aeroflot Flight 120 Aeroflot Flight 200
1960s	Aeroflot Flight 315 (1960) U-2 incident Aeroflot Flight 207 RB-47 shootdown incident Aeroflot Flight 036 Austrian Airlines Flight 901 Aeroflot Flight 068 Aeroflot Flight 245 Aeroflot Flight 902 Aeroflot Flight 415 Aeroflot Flight 213 (1962) Aeroflot Flight 191 Aeroflot Flight 03 Aeroflot Flight 25 Aeroflot Flight 012 Aeroflot Flight 366 Aeroflot Flight 663 Aeroflot Flight 721 Aeroflot Flight 101/X-20 Aeroflot Flight 542 Aeroflot Flight 513 Aeroflot Flight 99 Aeroflot Flight 065 Aeroflot Flight 2723 Aeroflot Flight 5003 (1967) Aeroflot Flight 2230 Aeroflot Flight L-51 Aeroflot Flight 15 Seaboard World Airlines Flight 253A 1969 Yukhnov mid-air collision Aeroflot Flight N-826
1970s	Aeroflot Flight U-45 Aeroflot Flight 1661 Dymshits–Kuznetsov hijacking affair Aeroflot Flight 3630 Aeroflot Flight 244 22 January 1971 Surgut Aeroflot Antonov An-12 crash 31 January 1971 Surgut Aeroflot Antonov An-12 crash Aeroflot Flight 1969 Aeroflot Flight 1912 Malév Flight 110 Aeroflot Flight 773 Aeroflot Flight N-63 Aeroflot Flight 2174 Aeroflot Flight 1491 Aeroflot Flight 558 Aeroflot Flight 1036 Aeroflot Flight 217 Japan Air Lines Flight 446 Aeroflot Flight 6263 Aeroflot Flight 141 Aeroflot Flight 630 Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 307 Aeroflot Flight 6551 Aeroflot Flight 109 Aeroflot Flight A-13 Aeroflot Flight 3932 Aeroflot Flight 964 Aeroflot Flight 19 Aeroflot Flight 2022 1974 Leningrad Aeroflot Il-18 crash 1974 Surgut mid-air collision Aeroflot Flight 2003 Aeroflot Flight 3739 (1976) Aeroflot Flight 909 Aeroflot Flight 1802 Aeroflot Flight A-53 Aeroflot Flight 418 1976 Anapa mid-air collision Aeroflot Flight 2415 Aeroflot Flight N-36 Aeroflot Flight 3843 Aeroflot Flight 5003 (1977) 1977 Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-134 hijacking Aeroflot Flight B-2 Aeroflot Flight 6709 Korean Air Lines Flight 902 1978 Yegoryevsk Tu-144 crash Iranian Chinook shootdown Aeroflot Flight 1080 Aeroflot Flight 1691 1979 Dniprodzerzhynsk mid-air collision Aeroflot Flight 5484
1980s– Dec. 1991	Aeroflot Flight 4225 1981 Pushkin Tu-104 crash Aeroflot Flight 498 1981 Armenia mid-air collision 1981 Zheleznogorsk mid-air collision Aeroflot Flight 811 Aeroflot Flight 3603 Aeroflot Flight 8641 Aeroflot Flight 411 Aeroflot Flight 5463 Korean Air Lines Flight 007 Aeroflot Flight 601 Aeroflot Flight 3352 Aeroflot Flight 3519 Aeroflot Flight 7841 1985 Zolochiv mid-air collision Aeroflot Flight 5143 Aeroflot Flight 101/435 Aeroflot Flight 2306 Aeroflot Flight 6502 Aeroflot Flight U-505 Aeroflot Flight N-528 Aeroflot Flight 699 Aeroflot Flight 3739 (1988) 1988 Soviet Air Force Il-76 crash An-24 crash in Navoiy Aeroflot Flight 8556