Il-12 crash in Alma-Ata

On Sunday 5 December 1954 an Il-12 of the Aeroflot company crashed in Alma-Ata, killing 1 person.

Crash

The aircraft was operating passenger flight 98 from Alma-Ata to Moscow with the first intermediate landing in Karaganda, and it was flown by a crew consisting of the commander (PIC) G. V. Markov, co-pilot A. I. Kukushkin, flight engineer G. I. Pereverzev and flight radio operator D. I. Sterlingov. Flight attendant N. G. Bondak worked in the cabin. In total there were 14 passengers on board. Training of the co-pilot was also included in the flight assignment. Although under the conditions of a scheduled flight it should be conducted only from the right seat, the commander on his own authority seated the co-pilot in the left seat, himself sitting in the right. Departure was to take place at 19:45 (16:45 Moscow time), but owing to an equipment fault it was postponed by an hour. At 17:45 flight 98 took off from Alma-Ata airport.

In the sky at that time there were scattered clouds, a light north-westerly wind, haze, visibility was 4 kilometres, and the air temperature was -25 °C. Soon after take-off, at 20:47, the aircraft reported: "Take-off completed, everything is in order on board". But when the Il-12 had climbed at a speed of 200 km/h to a height of 100—120 metres, the co-pilot saw flames on the left engine and reported a fire to the crew. The commander also saw the reflections of the flames, clearly visible in the darkness, and when the flight engineer also confirmed them, he gave the command to feather the left propeller. The commander, intending to knock down the flames, also put the airliner into a sideslip to the right with a vertical speed of 3—4 m/s, as a result of which he lost about 20—30 metres of height. Then at a height of 70—80 metres the propeller feathered, and the bright flames stopped. The commander then began a left turn to approach for landing at Alma-Ata airfield. At 20:48 the crew reported to the controller: "Flying on one engine", after which communication was cut off.

Since the aircraft continued to descend, the commander gave the command to the flight engineer: "boost on the right engine!", which was done. The asymmetric thrust began to turn the airliner to the left, which created considerable loads on the rudder. Feeling that deflecting the rudder to the right (to compensate for the moment) required considerable effort, the commander ordered the flight engineer to take off the boost, and the co-pilot not to interfere and to watch the instruments. After receiving the command, the right engine was brought to rated power, which did not stop the aircraft's descent. The commander then gave the command to increase the power of the right engine, but the forward speed dropped to 170—180 km/h, and the loss of height did not stop. The commander then decided to land at the Pervomayka military airfield, located along the flight route.

At a height of 15—20 metres the Il-12 approached the airfield, but then the commander saw that there was a ravine about 100 metres wide in front of him. Fearing that he would not clear this ravine, the commander turned the airliner 90° to the left in the direction of residential buildings. Losing height in the process, the Il-12 during the manoeuvre struck with its right wing a guard hut standing at the edge of the ravine, and then knocked down several small trees and two telegraph poles. The airliner, with its right engine running, then landed "on its belly" (with the landing gear retracted), slid about 160 metres and at 20:55 (17:55 Moscow time) crashed into a brick shed and a cement rubbish pit of a military unit. From the impact the forward part of the fuselage, including the cockpit, was destroyed up to frame 15, the centre section with the wings was deformed, and the tail section (from frame 33) was torn off. As a result of the accident the flight attendant was killed, and the flight crew (4 people) and 2 passengers were injured.