Li-2 crash on the Aral Sea

The Li-2 crash on the Aral Sea was an aviation accident with loss of life (an air crash) that occurred on 9 March 1962 on the coast of the Aral Sea, involving an Aeroflot Li-2 aircraft. The crash killed 3 people.

Crash

The aircraft arrived from Chimkent in Aralsk on 8 March at the request of the Aralsk hydrometeorological observatory, which had requested an ice reconnaissance on the Aral Sea. It was flown by a crew from the 158th detachment, which consisted of the freelance pilot-instructor A. Ya. Pravdin, the commander (PIC) A. M. Bayov, the flight engineer-instructor I. V. Polev and the flight radio operator-instructor D. Kh. Kupriyanov. The next day, 9 March, there was a pre-flight preparation with the crew, but since the hydrologist-aerologist was not present, the specifics of ice reconnaissance flights were not studied. The flight was to follow a route along the western and eastern shores of the sea: Aralsk — Avan — Barsakelmes — Aktumsyk — Lazarev Island — Tigrovy Khvost — Muynak — Uyaly — Kaska-Kulan — Aralsk. At the same time the flight assignment indicated that the aircraft was to take four hydrometeorologists to the weather station at Cape Aktumsyk, and then land at Muynak airport. In addition to the hydrometeorologists, on board were the director of the hydrometeorological station, who was responsible for organising the ice reconnaissance, and also a school director not entered in the flight assignment, who was flying to Muynak on official business.

According to the weather forecast issued to the crew, fog with visibility of less than 1000 metres was expected in the north and west of the sea; in the centre — cloud with occasional breaks at a height of 200—300 metres, without precipitation; in the south — high and medium cloud with visibility of 4—10 kilometres. Before departure the crew did not undergo a medical examination, which the controller did not check, and he cleared the take-off. At 09:52 (07:52 Moscow time) the Li-2 took off from Aralsk airport and after climbing occupied the assigned flight level of 1800 metres. At 11:04 the crew reported passing Barsakelmes Island at a height of 1800 metres, which was above the clouds, while the ground could be seen. Then at 11:15 the crew requested the Aralsk homing beacon, to which a minute later the controller confirmed that the beacon was working. After that the aircraft crew did not make contact again.

Having reported passing Barsakelmes Island, the crew did not request permission to descend from the Dzhusaly airport controller, and began to descend on their own authority on a heading of 220—240° in order to carry out the ice reconnaissance task. At a height of 800 metres the Li-2 entered a layer of broken clouds, from which it emerged at a height of 400 metres. At that moment it was being flown by the instructor; the horizontal visibility was 2—3 kilometres, and the water surface was visible. The crew held a course towards the western shore in order then to fly along it. The pilot-instructor turned from a heading of 240° onto a heading of 305° in order to reach the shore more quickly. He tried to keep the aircraft below the clouds, but their height gradually decreased as they approached the shore; then at a height of about 100—150 metres the airliner entered fog, and the visibility fell sharply.

Suddenly, through the fog, the crew saw a steep shore directly ahead, so the pilots sharply pulled the control columns "towards themselves", trying to fly over it. But at 11:30 (09:30 Moscow time) the Li-2 struck the edge of the shore with its right wing, which broke off as a result. The airliner then fell onto a plateau 211 metres high and, racing across it, began to break up, and the left wing was also torn off. 226 metres from the edge of the shore the aircraft came to a stop and caught fire.

When the crew stopped making contact, a search was not immediately organised, since it was believed that it had stopped for the night at one of the points with which there was no radio communication. Only the next morning was the search begun, and soon the wreckage of the aircraft was found on Cape Baygubekmuryn. The crash killed the flight engineer and two hydrometeorologists, and the other people on board were injured. On the same day all the injured were taken by an An-2 aircraft to the district hospital in the town of Aralsk.