Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 307

1973 aviation accident in the Soviet Union

Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 307
LZ-BEM, the accident aircraft
Accident
Date3 March 1973
SummaryAtmospheric icing
SiteNear Sheremetyevo International Airport, Moscow, Soviet Union
Aircraft
Aircraft typeIlyushin Il-18
OperatorBalkan Bulgarian Airlines
RegistrationLZ-BEM
Flight originSofia Vrazhdebna Airport, Sofia, Bulgaria
DestinationSheremetyevo International Airport, Moscow, Soviet Union
Passengers17
Crew8
Fatalities25
Survivors0

Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 307 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Sofia to Moscow that crashed on its final approach to the Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow on March 3, 1973. All 25 passengers and crew on board were killed in the crash.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was an Ilyushin Il-18V, registration LZ-BEM with the manufacturer's serial number 182005602. The aircraft first flew in 1962.[1]

Description of the accident

The aircraft was completing an international scheduled passenger flight from Sofia to Moscow when, on its second landing attempt after a missed approach, it started to lose altitude and nosedived shortly thereafter. The aircraft crashed into the ground, disintegrated, and caught fire.[1] There were no survivors among the 17 passengers and 8 crew members on board.[1][nb 1] The accident marked the 60th loss of an Ilyushin Il-18 and was also the 24th worst accident involving the type at the time of the accident. As of July 2014[update], the event is the 35th deadliest one involving an Il-18.[1]

Icing was later determined as the possible cause of the accident.[1]

Notes

  1. ^ It was also reported at the time that there were 18 passengers and a crew of 7 on board.[2]: 81 

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Accident description for LZ-BEM at the Aviation Safety Network
  2. ^
    • "Air safety (page 80)". Flight International. 105 (3384). 17 January 1974. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014.
    • "Air safety (page 81)". Flight International. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014.
    • "Air safety (page 82)". Flight International. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014.
    • "Air safety (page 83)". Flight International. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014.
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Mar 3
Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 307
Nov 23
Italian Air Force C-47 Argo 16 crash
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