Tu-154 accident over Domodedovo

The Tu-154 accident over Domodedovo was an aviation accident involving a Tu-154B-2 passenger aircraft of the Abakan Aviation Detachment (Aeroflot) that occurred on Wednesday, 21 May 1986 in the sky near Moscow's Domodedovo airport. No one died in this accident, but the aircraft itself was seriously damaged, as a result of which it was withdrawn from service.

Accident

The aircraft was operating a passenger flight from Chelyabinsk to Moscow (Domodedovo). On board were 175 passengers (164 adults and 11 children). At the time of the events there was an area of low pressure over Moscow Oblast, and a diffuse occlusion front was moving south and south-west along the line from Sheremetyevo to Vnukovo. East of this front there was variable (4-6 oktas) cumulus congestus and cumulonimbus cloud with a base of 1000–1500 metres and tops at 3-5 kilometres. In the cloud layer from 2500 to 4000 metres severe icing was observed, and in the cumulonimbus clouds also severe turbulence and electrification. Moscow air traffic controllers had warned the crew in advance that in the area of the Maryino ORPS (north of Domodedovo airport and near Elektrougli) thunderstorm echoes were being observed, which were recommended to be avoided on the south side.

Aircraft 85327, descending to a height of 3600 metres, was avoiding one of the thunderstorm cells when it entered an area of heavy rain, in which icing was also observed. At this stage the aircraft was being flown by the co-pilot Poptsev, who unexpectedly saw the indicated airspeed begin to decrease and soon fall to zero. The pilots lowered the aircraft's nose, but this did not help, nor did setting the engines to take-off power. The flight was taking place in cloud, that is, without visible external references. Then at 15:21, at a height of 1800 metres, the machine emerged from the clouds, which allowed the crew to orient themselves and realise that they were hurtling towards the ground at enormous speed. The commander then pulled the control column back, forcing the aircraft to recover from the dive by raising its nose, while experiencing strong g-loads. As was subsequently established, the Tu-154 was descending at a vertical speed of 100 m/s and an indicated airspeed of about 813 km/h, and during the dive recovery manoeuvre the machine experienced a load factor of 3.2 g, that is, well above the design values, but did not break up. The crew then made a normal approach and landed safely at Domodedovo airport. None of the crew or passengers on board were injured.

The crew tried to conceal the fact of the incident, but it came to light when the aircraft was being prepared for the return flight. An inspection revealed that the airliner had residual deformation, as a result of which corrugations had appeared on the skin. Consequently, aircraft 85327 was declared unfit for further operation, but it was not written off; instead it was transferred to the Directorate of Educational Institutions and placed in storage at Sheremetyevo airport.