Il-14 crash near Aktyubinsk

The Il-14 crash near Aktyubinsk was an aviation accident involving an Il-14P aircraft (an air crash) that occurred on 7 September 1958 in the Martuk District of Aktyubinsk Region. The crash killed all 27 people on board the aircraft.

Crash

The aircraft was operating flight 164 from Frunze to Moscow, and it was flown by a crew consisting of the commander (PIC) I. I. Shinkarsky, co-pilot N. G. Ryabov, flight engineer A. P. Evich and flight radio operator A. G. Kositsin. Flight attendant V. V. Shulga worked in the cabin. At 02:10 Moscow time the Il-14 made an intermediate landing at Aktyubinsk airport for refuelling, after which at 02:55 it took off on a magnetic heading of 127° and soon occupied flight level 1500 metres. On board were 22 passengers (18 adults and 4 children), as well as 402 kilograms of cargo (magnetic starters). According to the weather forecast issued to the crew, on the Aktyubinsk — Uralsk section of the flight route nimbostratus cloud of 6—9 points at a height of 600—1000 metres, rain, and visibility of 4—10 kilometres were expected.

At 03:04 the commander reported to the airport controller that he had reached flight level 1500 metres and was leaving the airport air zone, and at 03:05 that he had established contact with the Area Control Centre (RDP) and was flying visually at a height of 1500 metres. Then at 03:07 the crew again contacted the Aktyubinsk airport controller and requested their bearing, to which a minute later they received the reply — 274°. This indicated that the aircraft was on the track line 50 kilometres from Aktyubinsk. At 03:11 it requested the actual weather in Uralsk, to which the controller passed on — 10-point (overcast) nimbostratus cloud at a height of 300—600 metres, occasional rain, visibility 4—10 kilometres. At 03:14 the controller asked the crew to confirm the altitude and flight conditions, to which the aircraft reported: "1500 metres, visual, in contact with RDP". At 03:23 the controller again called aircraft L1692, but this time the crew did not answer, and the aircraft's blip was absent from the radar screen. At the same time the radar showed unusually strong returns, which indicated powerful thunderstorm cells.

According to the data of the Novoalekseyevka weather station, located 45 kilometres south-west of the airway, a thunderstorm was observed to the east of it, that is, in the area of the airway. Many witnesses also pointed to the presence of a thunderstorm. As a result, the Il-14, flying at night, unexpectedly for the crew entered a powerful thunderstorm cell. Then lightning struck the aircraft on the left side, in the access hatch to the left aileron control cables; its flash was seen by two shepherds in the steppe. The discharge broke and melted the cables, and also penetrated along them into the cockpit, where it paralysed the crew or put it into a state of shock. Having lost control, the aircraft, in a left turn and sideslipping onto the right wing with the engines running, began to descend and at about 03:18 Moscow time, with a bank of 60°, struck the ground surface with its right wing in the Martuk District of Aktyubinsk Region, 2 kilometres from the airway, 4 kilometres south-south-east of the village of Konstantinovka and 80 kilometres west of Aktyubinsk. On impact with the ground the Il-14 exploded, and the wreckage was scattered over a distance of 450—520 metres. All 27 people on board were killed. The crew members of the crashed flight 164 were buried at the Northern Cemetery of the city of Frunze (Bishkek).