An-2 crash near Batumi

The An-2 crash near Batumi was an aviation accident involving an An-2TP passenger aircraft of the company Aeroflot, which occurred on Friday 9 September 1966 in the Batumi area; 1 person was killed.

Crash

Earlier that morning aircraft 96224 operated passenger flight G-71 from Sukhumi to Batumi with an intermediate stop in Poti. At 09:30 the airliner landed safely in Batumi, where it began to be prepared for the return flight G-72. 20 kg of baggage was loaded onto the aircraft and 10 passengers boarded, with the take-off weight and centre of gravity within permissible limits. According to the weather forecast received by the crew, variable cumulus and cumulus congestus cloud with a base of 600—1000 metres was expected on the route, wind 100—120° 20—30 km/h (east-south-easterly 5—8 m/s), and visibility more than 10 kilometres. At 09:51, with 10 passengers and 2 pilots on board, the airliner took off from Batumi for Poti.

The flight was proceeding over the sea at the planned altitude of 250 metres and a couple of kilometres from the coastline, and 10 minutes had passed since take-off, when the engine suddenly shuddered a couple of times, then its thrust dropped, after which the engine failed completely. According to the testimony of a border guard soldier who observed the aircraft and was at a combat post, black smoke also briefly appeared at that moment. The pilots decided that the fuel system had failed, so they turned towards the shore and at the same time, using the hand fuel pump (wobble pump), the accelerator pump and the priming syringe, tried to restore engine operation. The crew simply did not have time to report the incident to the controller because of the high workload at that moment (restarting the engine and flying the aircraft). The measures to restart the engine proved unsuccessful, and the airliner at that time was near Cape Tsikhisdziri, where the shore was steep and there were reefs in the water near it. Under such conditions it was impossible to land on the shore or ditch near it, but a fishing vessel was nearby, and the pilots directed their aircraft towards it.

The ditching was carried out abeam Cape Tsikhisdziri, and before landing the captain told the passengers to open the entrance door and, after the ditching, to leave the aircraft. At 10:03 the An-2 ditched on the surface of the Black Sea 1800 metres from the shore and 500—600 metres from the vessel. Digging its landing gear struts into the water, the aircraft stopped abruptly, even almost instantaneously, and several passengers as well as the pilots were injured. After it stopped, the passengers, helping one another, got out through the exit door, and the pilots through the cockpit canopy windows opened in advance. At the same time, the captain of the fishing vessel sent a rowing launch to the ditched An-2, which picked up 9 passengers and 2 pilots. Later they were all taken to Batumi City Hospital. The aircraft itself, burying its engine in the water, gradually turned to a vertical position, and 7—8 minutes after the ditching sank at a depth of 34—36 metres.

A couple of days later the sunken aircraft was found, and a day after that raised to the surface. In its fuselage the body of the tenth passenger was found, who at the moment of ditching, because he was not strapped in, had received severe head injuries. Because of this he either lost consciousness or was in a state of shock, and therefore sank together with the aircraft, becoming the only victim of the accident.