Aeroflot Flight 99

1965 aviation accident

Aeroflot Flight 99
Accident
An Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-124 similar to the one involved in the accident.
Date	11 November 1965 (1965-11-11)
Summary	CFIT
Site	1.5 km from Murmansk Airport, RSFSR, Soviet Union
Aircraft type	Tupolev Tu-124V
Operator	Aeroflot
Registration	СССР-45086
Flight origin	Leningrad-Pulkovo Airport
Destination	Murmansk Airport
Passengers	57
Crew	7
Fatalities	32
Survivors	32

Aeroflot Flight 99 was a Tupolev Tu-124 operating a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Leningrad to Murmansk, both in the Soviet Union, which crashed while attempting to land on 11 November 1965. Of the 64 passengers and crew on board, 32 were killed in the accident, and many of the survivors sustained injuries.^[1]

Aircraft

The aircraft involved in the accident was a Tupolev Tu-124 registered as СССР-45086 to Aeroflot. The aircraft was rather new as it had rolled off the assembly line in August 1965. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had sustained 357 flight hours and 300 pressurization cycles. (one cycle equals one takeoff and landing)^[2]

Crew

Nine crew members were aboard the flight. The cockpit crew consisted of the following:^[3]

Captain Donat Samuilovich Nekludov (Донат Самуилович Неклюдов)
Co-pilot D. A. Kuneshov (Д.А. Кунешов)
Navigator Y. M. Vishnev (Ю.М. Вишнев)
Flight engineer V. I. Romanov (В.И. Романов)
Radio operator F. I. Petrov (Ф.И. Петров)

The dispatcher along with the stewardess A.E. Artsibasheva (А.Е. Арцыбашева) worked in the cabin.^[3]

Accident

Aeroflot Flight SU99 took off from Leningrad-Pulkovo Airport at 14:21. The flight went smoothly during takeoff and cruise. However, during the descent towards Murmansk, weather had deteriorated with cumulonimbus clouds at 260 meters, snow and visibility of 1.5 km.^[4]

At 15:50, 7 minutes before the estimated time of arrival, the air traffic controller informed the flight of the deteriorating weather conditions at the airport and instructed the flight to fly at an altitude of 2400 meters; shortly thereafter he ordered the aircraft to reduce altitude again to reach 700 meters. The bearing for the landing was 215°.

When the flight was at an altitude of 800 meters the captain began a turn, losing altitude quicker than anticipated. During the approach, 7100 meters from the runway, the Tupolev was flying 400 m to the left of the extended centerline. When the flight was at an altitude of 180 meters and trying to pass the non-directional beacon that was about 2400 meters from the runway, the aircraft entered the snowstorm. Shortly thereafter the pilot-in-command increased the rate of descent, and at 15:57 the Tu-124 crashed into the frozen Lake Kilpyavr while 273 meters short of the beacon and 2127 meters short of the runway.^[4]

After hitting the ice the aircraft lost the left wing, and the fuselage broke in two, separating from the cockpit. The right wing then separated. The fuselage stopped on the ice 1562 m from the beginning of the runway, and quickly sank. Soldiers managed to save several passengers from the sunken fuselage. The cockpit stopped on the ice 166 meters to the left of the fuselage then fell through the ice into shallow waters near a small island in the middle of the lake; It sank partially. All crew members except the navigator and dispatcher managed to escape. Soldiers stationed at a building near the beacon rushed to rescue the passengers and crew from the crash, but 32 of the 64 people aboard perished in the crash.^[4]^[1]

Cause

The pilots descended below the glidepath but did not notice their mistake immediately. What the pilots thought were runway lights were actually lights from a neighborhood near the airport, causing the pilots to think they had not descended enough; hence they increased the rate of descent even more. When the pilots noticed the mistake, it was too late and the aircraft crashed onto the frozen lake. Secondary reasons for the crash included that the airport was not equipped with glidepath approach lights, and the air traffic controller had failed to warn the crew that their altitude was too low relative to their proximity to the runway.

References

^ ^a ^b "Accident description". ASN. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
^ "Туполев Ту-124В Бортовой №: СССР-45086". russianplanes.net. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Авиакатастрофа Ту-124В близ Мурманска. 1965". avia.pro. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Катастрофа Ту-124В Северного УГА близ Мурманска" (in Russian). airdisaster.ru. Retrieved 17 May 2014.

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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 1965 (1965)
Jan 4 Aeroflot Flight 101/X-20 Jan 16 USAF KC-135 Wichita crash Feb 6 LAN-Chile Flight 107 Feb 8 Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 Mar 7 Aeroflot Flight 542 Mar 8 Aeroflot Flight 513 Apr 14 British United Airways Flight 1030X May 5 Iberia Flight 401 May 20 Pakistan International Airlines Flight 705 Jun 28 Pan Am Flight 843 Jul 1 Continental Airlines Flight 12 Jul 6 Little Baldon Hastings crash Jul 8 Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 21 Jul 10 Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748 Jul 20 Cambrian Airways Liverpool crash Jul 23 Allegheny Airlines Flight 604 Aug 16 United Air Lines Flight 389 Aug 24 Hong Kong US Marines KC-130F Crash Sep 17 Pan Am Flight 292 Sep 19 Gujarat Beechcraft incident Oct 20 Philippine Air Lines Flight 741 Nov 2 1965 Argentine Air Force C-54 disappearance Nov 8 American Airlines Flight 383 Nov 11 United Air Lines Flight 227 Nov 11 Aeroflot Flight 99 Dec 4 Carmel mid-air collision Dec 5 Philippine Sea A-4 incident
1964 ◄ ► 1966

Aviation accidents and incidents in 1965 (1965)

Jan 4

Aeroflot Flight 101/X-20

Jan 16

USAF KC-135 Wichita crash

Feb 6

LAN-Chile Flight 107

Feb 8

Eastern Air Lines Flight 663

Mar 7

Aeroflot Flight 542

Mar 8

Aeroflot Flight 513

Apr 14

British United Airways Flight 1030X

May 5

Iberia Flight 401

May 20

Pakistan International Airlines Flight 705

Jun 28

Pan Am Flight 843

Jul 1

Continental Airlines Flight 12

Jul 6

Little Baldon Hastings crash

Jul 8

Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 21

Jul 10

Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748

Jul 20

Cambrian Airways Liverpool crash

Jul 23

Allegheny Airlines Flight 604

Aug 16

United Air Lines Flight 389

Aug 24

Hong Kong US Marines KC-130F Crash

Sep 17

Pan Am Flight 292

Sep 19

Gujarat Beechcraft incident

Oct 20

Philippine Air Lines Flight 741

Nov 2

1965 Argentine Air Force C-54 disappearance

Nov 8

American Airlines Flight 383

Nov 11

United Air Lines Flight 227

Nov 11

Aeroflot Flight 99

Dec 4

Carmel mid-air collision

Dec 5

Philippine Sea A-4 incident

1964 ◄ ► 1966

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