1978 Yegoryevsk Tupolev Tu-144 crash
Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-144D · Crash landing following in-flight fire due to fuel leak
From Zhukovsky International Airport (ZIA) to Ramenskoye Airport
Event
- Event typeAccident: someone killed or seriously injured, or the aircraft substantially damaged (NTSB definition). Incident: an occurrence that affected or could have affected safety, short of that. Glossary
- Accident
- Event fatalities
- 2 · all aircraft and ground
- Ground fatalities
- Unknown
- Occupants
- 8
- Survivors
- 6
- InjuriesFatal: death within 30 days. Serious: over 48 hours in hospital within a week, most broken bones, severe bleeding, nerve or organ damage, or serious burns. Minor: anything less. Glossary
- Unknown
- OperationWhat kind of flying it was, grouped by the rules it flew under: airline (US Part 121), air taxi and commuter (Part 135), general aviation (Part 91 and similar), military or government. Glossary
- Airline
Tupolev Tu-144D
- Aircraft type
- Tupolev TU-144
- Category
- Airplane · from aircraft type
- RegistrationThe aircraft's tail number, such as N12345 or G-ABCD. Registrations are reissued, so the same one years apart can be a different aircraft. Glossary
- CCCP-77111
- Operator
- Aeroflot
- Onboard fatalities
- 2
- Route
- From Zhukovsky International Airport (ZIA)To Ramenskoye Airport
Cause areas
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant
- Organizational issues › Development
- Personnel issues › Action/decision
From the investigation findings the Wikipedia article reports, sorted into the NTSB's cause areas with AI assistance.
Approximate · Coordinates from the Wikipedia article; not checked against an investigation report.
From the Wikipedia article
During a test flight of a Tupolev Tu-144 on 23 May 1978, the aircraft suffered a fuel leak, which led to an in-flight fire in the right wing, forcing the shutdown of two of the aircraft's four engines. One of the two remaining engines subsequently failed, forcing the crew to make a belly landing in a field near Yegoryevsk, Moscow Oblast. Two flight engineers were killed in the ensuing crash, but the remaining six crew members survived. The accident prompted a ban on passenger flights of the Tu-144, which had already been beset by numerous problems, leading to a lack of interest that ultimately resulted in the Tu-144 program's cancellation.
Accident
The aircraft took off from Ramenskoye Airport near Moscow at 17:30 local time on 23 May 1978. The crew intended to perform a series of tests on the aircraft's generators, engines, cabin leakage, and controllability at 12000 m. Following the completion of the initial series of tests, the crew descended to 3000 m to test the aircraft's auxiliary power unit (APU). At 18:44:44 local time, the crew started the APU. Shortly thereafter, at 18:49:15, the crew shut off the APU. Nine seconds later, a fire alarm was triggered; the number 3 engine was shut down at 18:49:31. The crew decided to attempt a return to Ramenskoye Airport. At 18:51:14, the number 4 engine shut down. The crew subsequently noticed a burning smell and thick smoke in the cabin. The number one engine then shut down at 18:53:27; with three of the aircraft's four engines shut down, it was impossible to return to the airport. At 18:55:18, the aircraft belly landed in a field in the Yegoryevsky District, roughly 46 km from Ramenskoye Airport. The aircraft touched down with the landing gear retracted, at a speed of approximately 380 km/h. The nose cone collapsed on impact, penetrating a compartment in which two flight engineers were seated and killing them both, while the remaining six crewmembers survived the crash. It was not until about an hour after the crash that the fire was extinguished by firefighters.
Investigation and cause
Investigation
The aircraft crash investigation mainly focused on a fuel leak caused by fatigue failure of an experimental fuel pipe in the power plant zone. The pipe was instrumented with a temperature sensor. The official report concluded the fuel leak likely started at 18:18 hours at a rate of 220 kg/min, totaling an estimated 8000 kg fuel loss. A spark from the APU ignited fuel vapor, leading to a fire and engine failure.
After the accident, extensive tests found vibrations from internal fuel flow caused unexpected fatigue damage to the fuel pipelines. These unfamiliar vibrations, up to 1500 Hz compared to the expected 100 Hz, combined with certain pipeline cleaning methods, resulted in the premature wear of the pipeline. Other factors included hydraulic shocks from unusually high pressure. Design changes to the APU fuel system were critical in causing the disaster.
During the acceptance test flight, the crew, aware of uncalibrated fuel system sensors, ignored the fuel contents gauges and relied on the flowmeters. A fatal error was made when they dismissed gauge readings, despite acknowledging significant tank contents discrepancies. The fuel leak led to fuel accumulation in multiple compartments, including the ones above the APU. The crew ignored evident leak signs to keep the testing on schedule.
An attempt to start the APU, which likely failed due to excess fuel and compressor stall, led to the immediate ignition of fuel across the aircraft. Fire alarms from different locations of the aircraft suggested the entire plane was on fire. Despite challenging emergency conditions, the pilots managed to land the aircraft but struck an obstacle, causing fatal injuries to two flight engineers.
Text from the Wikipedia article “1978 Yegoryevsk Tupolev Tu-144 crash” (revision 1375063698, retrieved 2026-09-18) by its authors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Extracted as plain text: references, tables, images and some sections are left out. Read the article
Sources
Wikipedia article: 1978 Yegoryevsk Tupolev Tu-144 crash
- Revision
- 1375063698 · 2026-09-15 · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Wikidata
- Q16662591
- Licence
- Text CC BY-SA 4.0, by the article's authors; Wikidata CC0; town positions GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)
Where each value comes from
- Record
- Wikipedia article "1978 Yegoryevsk Tupolev Tu-144 crash" (page 69272128, revision 1375063698)
- Date
- Wikipedia infobox: date
- Place and country
- Wikipedia infobox: site
- Map position
- Wikipedia article coordinates
- Aircraft, operator and route
- Wikipedia infobox: aircraft type, registration, operator, origin and destination; route airports from the linked airport articles' Wikidata codes (OurAirports)
- Operation
- operator is an airline according to Wikidata
- Fatalities
- Wikipedia infobox: aircraft fatalities
- Ground fatalities
- not stated in the Wikipedia infobox
- Summary
- Wikipedia infobox: summary
Source notes (1)
- Wikipedia · Facts from the Wikipedia article's infobox and coordinates, not checked against an investigation report. Independent review pending.