Li-2 crash near Anadyr (1956)

The Li-2 crash near Anadyr was an aviation accident involving an Aeroflot Li-2 aircraft that occurred on Sunday 9 December 1956 in the area of Anadyr, in which 12 people were killed.

Crash

The aircraft was operating a scheduled flight from Lavrentiya to Anadyr, with the last intermediate stop in Uelkal with an overnight stay. On the morning of 9 December at 00:20the Li-2, with 5 crew members, 7 passengers and 580 kilograms of cargo on board, departed from Uelkal for Anadyr. According to the weather forecast, variable cloud at a height of 600—1000 metres, a light westerly wind, drifting snow and visibility of 4—6 were expected along the route. Similar weather conditions were expected in the area of Anadyr. The flight was to take place at a flight level of 1500 metres. At 00:27 the crew contacted the controller at Anadyr Airport and, reporting a visual flight, requested the weather. At 00:40 the crew again contacted the Anadyr controller and asked whether there were departures from Anadyr to Provideniya Bay. After this, aircraft L5033 did not call the controller again and did not make contact.

Through organised searches the aircraft was found 35 kilometres north-east of Anadyr, and only on 13 December did a search party reach the crash site. Travelling 8 kilometres to the left of the planned track, the airliner, with its engines running, struck a 920-metre-high hill at an altitude of 720 metres on the south-western slope of Mount Ioann (Zolotoy Range), exploded and was completely destroyed. All 12 people on board were killed.