Aeroflot Flight 3843

1977 aviation accident

Aeroflot Flight 3843
Accident
A Tupolev Tu-104B, similar to the aircraft involved in the accident.
Date	13 January 1977 (1977-01-13)
Summary	Left engine fire leading to a loss of flight controls
Site	Near Almaty Airport, Almaty, Soviet Union
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Tupolev Tu-104B
Operator	Aeroflot
Registration	СССР-42369
Flight origin	Khabarovsk Airport
Stopover	Novosibirsk
Destination	Almaty Airport
Occupants	90
Passengers	82
Crew	8
Fatalities	90^[1]
Survivors	0

Aeroflot Flight 3843 was a Soviet Union commercial flight that crashed on January 13, 1977, after a left engine fire near Almaty Airport. All 90 people on board perished in the crash.^[2]

Aircraft and crew

The aircraft involved in the accident was a Tupolev Tu-104B, registered СССР-42369 to Aeroflot. The aircraft was delivered to Aeroflot on October 31, 1958. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated 27,189 flight hours and 12,819 landings in service.^[3]

The flight crew consisted of a captain, a first officer, two navigators and a flight engineer; three flight attendants were stationed in the cabin.^[3]

Accident sequence

Flight 3843 was a service from Khabarovsk to Almaty via Novosibirsk. The aircraft departed for the second leg of its flight from Novosibirsk at 17:13 on January 13, 1977.^[4] At 40 kilometres (25 mi; 22 nmi) from Almaty airport the aircraft was at an altitude of 2,100 metres (6,890 ft). Witnesses noticed the left engine of the aircraft on fire about 15 kilometres (9 mi; 8 nmi) from the airport. With the wing still on fire, it then climbed from about 180 metres (600 ft) to 300 metres (1,000 ft) before diving and exploding in a snow-covered field.^[4] The sky above the airport at the time was clear, although due to the haze visibility was at 1,850 metres (2,023 yd). The aircraft hit the ground at an angle of 28° with a roll, at a speed of 150–190 kilometres per hour (93–118 mph) and rotated 200-210° with respect to the runway axis. The fuselage broke in two; the front part of the fuselage sank into the ground 2 metres (10 ft). The rear of the fuselage with the tail assembly was pushed back 18 metres (60 ft) and not burned in the fire. Forensic examinations showed that the passengers were exposed to carbon monoxide during the flight.^[4]

Investigation

The accident board found the aircraft's left engine had been subjected to fire for 10–15 minutes. The fire increased upon slowing down to land due to a decrease in the air flow, damaging the controls. The aircraft stalled and crashed three kilometers short of the airport.^[4]

References

^ "Катастрофа Ту-104А Дальневосточного УГА в районе а/п Алма-Ата". Retrieved 17 November 2016.
^ "ASN Aircraft accident Tupolev 104A СССР-42369 Alma-Ata Airport (ALA)". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Туполев Ту-104А Бортовой №: СССР-42369". russianplanes.net. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Катастрофа Ту-104А Дальневосточного УГА в районе а/п Алма-Ата". www.airdisaster.ru. Retrieved 2016-12-02.

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 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 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 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 1977 (1977)
Jan 5 Connellan air disaster Jan 13 Aeroflot Flight 3843 Jan 13 Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1045 Jan 15 Linjeflyg Flight 618 Feb 15 Aeroflot Flight 5003 Mar 17 British Airtours Boeing 707 crash Mar 27 Tenerife airport disaster Apr 4 Southern Airways Flight 242 Apr 12 Delta Air Lines Flight 1080 Apr 27 Aviateca Convair 240 crash May 10 Israeli CH-53 crash May 14 Dan-Air Boeing 707 crash May 27 Aeroflot Flight 331 Jul 10 Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-134 hijacking Jul 20 Aeroflot Flight B-2 Aug 1 Encino helicopter crash Sep 27 Japan Air Lines Flight 715 Sep 27 Yokohama F-4 crash Sep 28 Japan Air Lines Flight 472 Oct 13 Lufthansa Flight 181 Oct 20 Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash Nov 19 TAP Flight 425 Dec 2 Libyan Arab Airlines Tu-154 crash Dec 4 Malaysian Airline System Flight 653 Dec 13 Air Indiana Flight 216 Dec 17 United Airlines Flight 2860 Dec 18 SA de Transport Aérien Flight 730 Dec 19 1977 Vieques Air Link crash
1976 ◄ ► 1978

Aviation accidents and incidents in 1977 (1977)

Jan 5

Connellan air disaster

Jan 13

Aeroflot Flight 3843

Jan 13

Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1045

Jan 15

Linjeflyg Flight 618

Feb 15

Aeroflot Flight 5003

Mar 17

British Airtours Boeing 707 crash

Mar 27

Tenerife airport disaster

Apr 4

Southern Airways Flight 242

Apr 12

Delta Air Lines Flight 1080

Apr 27

Aviateca Convair 240 crash

May 10

Israeli CH-53 crash

May 14

Dan-Air Boeing 707 crash

May 27

Aeroflot Flight 331

Jul 10

Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-134 hijacking

Jul 20

Aeroflot Flight B-2

Aug 1

Encino helicopter crash

Sep 27

Japan Air Lines Flight 715

Sep 27

Yokohama F-4 crash

Sep 28

Japan Air Lines Flight 472

Oct 13

Lufthansa Flight 181

Oct 20

Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash

Nov 19

TAP Flight 425

Dec 2

Libyan Arab Airlines Tu-154 crash

Dec 4

Malaysian Airline System Flight 653

Dec 13

Air Indiana Flight 216

Dec 17

United Airlines Flight 2860

Dec 18

SA de Transport Aérien Flight 730

Dec 19

1977 Vieques Air Link crash

1976 ◄ ► 1978

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

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in Kazakhstan
Aeroflot Flight 101/X-20 (1965) Aeroflot Flight 6551 (1973) Aeroflot Flight 3843 (1977) Aeroflot Flight 4225 (1980) Aeroflot Flight 5463 (1983) Kazakhstan Antonov An-72 (2012) SCAT Airlines Flight 760 (2013) Bek Air Flight 2100 (2019)
This includes accidents in the Kazakh SSR and post-independence Kazakhstan.