Il-18 crash near Frunze

The Il-18 crash near Frunze was an aviation accident that occurred on 30 January 1976 in the vicinity of the city of Frunze (now Bishkek), involving an Il-18V aircraft of the airline Aeroflot, in which 6 people were killed.

Crash

The aircraft was performing a training flight, among the items of which approach and landing with two engines on one side of the wing inoperative were being practised. It was flown by a crew from the 250th Flight Squadron, consisting of the instructor captain V. V. Sharov (deputy commander of the Frunze Aviation Squadron for flight operations), the trainee captains I. M. Ugryumov and L. I. Golovko, the navigator I. N. Belousov, the flight engineer Ye. N. Sevostyanov and the radio operator V. I. Goncharov. At 14:52 (11:52 Moscow time) the Il-18 took off from Frunze Airport.

At a height of 5000 metres in the airport zone the trainees completed the exercise, after which they began descending for an approach on a heading of 135° with two engines shut down. The engines on the right wing — No. 3 and 4 — had been shut down, and to compensate for the yawing moment the aircraft was put into a left bank. The aircraft was being flown by trainee Golovko, sitting in the left seat. At first everything went in accordance with the established pattern; only the speed was slightly exceeded, being 300 km/h instead of 280 km/h. But when the airliner had passed the outer marker (DPRM) (3500 metres from the runway threshold) and was on the landing course and glide path, the trainee violated the Flight Operations Manual for two engines inoperative on one side of the wing — he extended the flaps further to the landing position (30°). Drag immediately increased, and the power of two engines was no longer sufficient, as a result of which the speed began to decrease.

The left bank had been removed by the time the flaps were extended, and now the decelerating aircraft began to roll to the right. The airliner began to enter a sideslip and deviate from the flight path. Whereas 2000 metres from the runway threshold the deviation was 20 metres, 500 metres from the threshold it reached 70 metres. It is possible that at this moment the Il-18 flew into haze, due to which visibility dropped to 1000—1500 metres and the crew lost sight of the ground. Such a drop in visibility was confirmed by the crew of an Il-14 aircraft that landed at the airport at 15:27; however, according to data from the aviation meteorological station (AMSG), visibility on the approach was no less than 5 kilometres.

When the aircraft was at a height of 100—120 metres 1800—2000 metres from the runway threshold, the crew realised that with such a significant lateral deviation it was impossible to land on the paved runway, and therefore decided to go around. The airliner was still in landing configuration when it was put into a left bank of 7° and, at an indicated airspeed of 260 km/h, the retraction of the landing gear began. But the opening of the landing gear doors only increased aerodynamic drag and the speed began to decrease. At a height of 70—80 metres above aerodrome level (true height — 40—60 metres) and at an indicated airspeed of 220 km/h there was an attempt to increase the total thrust of the engines by starting the right engines — first No. 3 and then 4. But engine No. 3 did not start, and the resulting negative thrust led to a rapidly increasing right bank which, at the existing low speed, could no longer be countered by deflecting the ailerons, rudder and elevator, so propeller No. 3 was hastily feathered.

At 15:35, with a right bank of 53°, the Il-18 struck the ground 1600 metres (azimuth 212°) from the Frunze aerodrome reference point. The aircraft struck small trees with the right part of its wing and began to break up, after which it skidded 120 metres, slammed into another group of trees and exploded. The fuselage was torn into three parts, and the nose section overturned and burned. The wreckage was scattered over an area of 120 by 45 metres. All 6 crew members were killed.