Yak-40 crash near Batumi

The Yak-40 crash near Batumi was an aviation accident that occurred on 15 July 1975 in the mountains near Batumi. A Yak-40 airliner of the 1st Yerevan Combined Aviation Detachment of the Aeroflot enterprise was completing scheduled passenger flight E-15 on the route Yerevan — Batumi, but while on approach to land at Batumi Airport the airliner abandoned the approach and went around. However, while in the holding area, the airliner crashed into a mountain 15 km from the airport. All 40 people on board were killed — 35 passengers and 5 crew members.

Crash

On 15 July 1975 Yak-40 tail number USSR-87475 was operating flight E-15 from Yerevan to Batumi. In total there were 40 people on board: 35 passengers (23 adults and 12 children) and 5 crew members.

At 13:18 local time flight E-15 entered the air zone of Batumi Airport and the crew contacted the controller. The controller gave clearance to descend to a height of 300 metres towards the fourth turn and transmitted the conditions for landing on a magnetic heading of 127°. At 12:25 he transmitted the weather information — overcast with a base of 420 metres, scattered cloud from a height of 300 metres, visibility 5 kilometres, easterly wind (195°) 5—8 m/s. This weather was above minimums, but in fact by that time the weather conditions had deteriorated significantly and the actual visibility was 3 kilometres, while the base of the scattered cloud was 200 metres.

When the aircraft was 11 kilometres from the airport, the controller cleared it to make the fourth turn and gave the reciprocal heading of 139°, since the airliner was 2 kilometres to the left of the landing course. At 13:29:35 the controller told the crew that the distance from the airport was 5 kilometres. The Yak-40 was between the coastline and the runway threshold, 1300 metres from the runway threshold, when the check pilot on board informed the controller of the go-around. According to eyewitness testimony, the aircraft flew over a point 2700 metres north-west (azimuth 307°) of the runway threshold practically on the landing heading, turning left. At this moment the last communication between the controller and the crew took place: "Can you make a visual approach?". "Yes, visual approach". After this the airliner, in cloud, flew on a magnetic heading of 30 °over Mount Anaria. When 170 seconds later the controller tried to call the crew, it no longer answered.

According to eyewitness testimony, the Yak-40 made a right turn over a tea factory (9 kilometres from the aerodrome reference point) along the valley of the Korolistskali River, and after 1.5 kilometres turned left onto a magnetic heading of 60°, after which it continued flying in this direction. After approximately 1000—1500 metres the Yak-40 began a climbing right turn.

At 13:34 local time (12:34 Moscow time), at an altitude of 550 metres above sea level, on a heading of 84° with a right bank of 20° and at an angle of 14° to the horizon, at an approximate speed of about 350 km/h, it crashed into a mountain 594.6 metres high, 15 kilometres from the airport. On impact the aircraft exploded and burned, and all 40 people on board were killed.