1981 Zheleznogorsk mid-air collision
Accident
Date	18 September 1981
Summary	Mid-air collision resulting from ATC error
Site	11 km (6.9 miles) east of Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy Airport, Soviet Union
Total fatalities	40
Total survivors	0
First aircraft
A Yakovlev Yak-40, similar to the aircraft involved in the accident.
Type	Yakovlev Yak-40
Operator	Aeroflot
Registration	CCCP-87455
Flight origin	Irkutsk Airport (IKT/UIII), Soviet Union
Destination	Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy Airport (UIBV), Soviet Union
Passengers	29
Crew	4
Survivors	0
Second aircraft
A Mil Mi-8, similar to the aircraft involved in the accident.
Type	Mil Mi-8T
Operator	Aeroflot
Registration	CCCP-22268
Flight origin	Bratsk Airport (UIBB), Soviet Union
Destination	Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy Airport (UIBV), Soviet Union
Crew	7
Survivors	0

The 1981 Zheleznogorsk mid-air collision was an accident involving a Yakovlev Yak-40 jet and a Mil Mi-8T helicopter, both operated by the Russian airline Aeroflot, 11 km (6.9 miles) east of Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy Airport, Soviet Union, on 18 September 1981. None of the combined 40 passengers and crew on either aircraft survived.^[1]

Accident

While flight V-652 was inbound to Zheleznogorsk-Ilimskiy after its flight from Irkutsk on 18 September 1981, a Mil Mi-8T helicopter was also heading for the same airport after having finished its training flight from Bratsk. The crew of flight V-652 initiated their descent to the airport and had to pass through clouds while searching for the runway. When the plane was about 11 km (6.9 miles) East of the airport and at an altitude of 1,300 ft (396 m), it collided with the helicopter who was also descending at 7.13am. Flight V-652 suffered immense damage to its left wing, fuselage and tail section, while the helicopter's main rotor and cockpit were destroyed with serious damage to its fuselage as well.^[2] Both aircraft nosedived towards the ground following the collision, and crashed in a wooded hilly terrain 400 meters (1,300 feet) from one another. None of the 29 passengers and 4 crew aboard flight V-652 survived the crash, and all 7 crew on board the Mil Mi-8T helicopter also perished in the disaster.^[3]

Aircraft

The Yakovlev Yak-40 involved, CCCP-87455 (msn 9431236) was built in 1974 and was used by Aeroflot from 1974 until its destruction in 1981. The Mil Mi-8T involved, CCCP-22268 (msn 6918) was also in use by Aeroflot at the time of the accident.^[1]

Aftermath

The wreckage of both aircraft were completely destroyed in the accident and post-crash fire. An investigation of the accident concluded that the cause lay with the poor surveillance conducted by ATC. The lack of communication between the three parties allowed the Mil Mi-8T helicopter to cross into the approach path of flight V-652.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b "Accident Description". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
^ "Столкновение Як-40 и Ми-8 ВС УГА в районе г.Железногорск-Илимский" [Collision Yak-40 and Mi-8 Zheleznogorsk-Ilimsky] (in Russian). airdisaster.ru. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
^ "Accident Description". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
^ "CRASH OF A YAKOVLEV YAK-40 IN ZHELEZNOGORSK: 33 KILLED". aaa-acro.com. Retrieved 5 November 2022.

Aviation accidents and incidents in 1981

Feb 7

1981 Pushkin Tu-104 crash

Mar 2

Pakistan International Airlines Flight 326

Mar 28

Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 206

May 2

Aer Lingus Flight 164

May 7

Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 901

Jun 14

Aeroflot Flight 498

Jun 26

Dan-Air Flight 240

Jul 18

Armenia mid-air collision

Jul 20

Somali Airlines Flight 40

Jul 27

Aeroméxico Flight 230

Jul 31

Panamanian Air Force Twin Otter crash

Aug 9

1981 Barrington Tops Cessna 210 disappearance

Aug 13

G-ASWI ditching

Aug 19

Gulf of Sidra incident

Aug 22

Far Eastern Air Transport Flight 103

Aug 24

Aeroflot Flight 811

Aug 26

Aeropesca Colombia Flight 221

Sep 18

Zheleznogorsk mid-air collision

Sep 22

Eastern Air Lines Flight 935

Sep 29

Indian Airlines Flight 423

Oct 6

NLM CityHopper Flight 431

Nov 8

Aeroméxico Flight 110

Nov 17

Aeroflot Flight 3603

Dec 1

Inex-Adria Flight 1308

1980 ◄ ► 1982

Aviation accidents and incidents in the Soviet Union

1930s	Osoaviakhim-1 SSSR-V6 Osoaviakhim
1940s	1948 Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-12 crash
1950s	1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash LOT Polish Airlines Flight 232 1957 Kiev mid-air collision Aeroflot Flight 04 1958 Aeroflot Tu-104 Kanash crash Aeroflot Flight 315 (1959) Aeroflot Flight 120 Aeroflot Flight 200
1960s	Aeroflot Flight 315 (1960) U-2 incident Aeroflot Flight 207 RB-47 shootdown incident Aeroflot Flight 036 Austrian Airlines Flight 901 Aeroflot Flight 068 Aeroflot Flight 245 Aeroflot Flight 902 Aeroflot Flight 415 Aeroflot Flight 213 (1962) Aeroflot Flight 191 Aeroflot Flight 03 Aeroflot Flight 25 Aeroflot Flight 012 Aeroflot Flight 366 Aeroflot Flight 663 Aeroflot Flight 721 Aeroflot Flight 101/X-20 Aeroflot Flight 542 Aeroflot Flight 513 Aeroflot Flight 99 Aeroflot Flight 065 Aeroflot Flight 2723 Aeroflot Flight 5003 (1967) Aeroflot Flight 2230 Aeroflot Flight L-51 Aeroflot Flight 15 Seaboard World Airlines Flight 253A 1969 Yukhnov mid-air collision Aeroflot Flight N-826
1970s	Aeroflot Flight U-45 Aeroflot Flight 1661 Dymshits–Kuznetsov hijacking affair Aeroflot Flight 3630 Aeroflot Flight 244 22 January 1971 Surgut Aeroflot Antonov An-12 crash 31 January 1971 Surgut Aeroflot Antonov An-12 crash Aeroflot Flight 1969 Aeroflot Flight 1912 Malév Flight 110 Aeroflot Flight 773 Aeroflot Flight N-63 Aeroflot Flight 2174 Aeroflot Flight 1491 Aeroflot Flight 558 Aeroflot Flight 1036 Aeroflot Flight 217 Japan Air Lines Flight 446 Aeroflot Flight 6263 Aeroflot Flight 141 Aeroflot Flight 630 Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 307 Aeroflot Flight 6551 Aeroflot Flight 109 Aeroflot Flight A-13 Aeroflot Flight 3932 Aeroflot Flight 964 Aeroflot Flight 19 Aeroflot Flight 2022 1974 Leningrad Aeroflot Il-18 crash 1974 Surgut mid-air collision Aeroflot Flight 2003 Aeroflot Flight 3739 (1976) Aeroflot Flight 909 Aeroflot Flight 1802 Aeroflot Flight A-53 Aeroflot Flight 418 1976 Anapa mid-air collision Aeroflot Flight 2415 Aeroflot Flight N-36 Aeroflot Flight 3843 Aeroflot Flight 5003 (1977) 1977 Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-134 hijacking Aeroflot Flight B-2 Aeroflot Flight 6709 Korean Air Lines Flight 902 1978 Yegoryevsk Tu-144 crash Iranian Chinook shootdown Aeroflot Flight 1080 Aeroflot Flight 1691 1979 Dniprodzerzhynsk mid-air collision Aeroflot Flight 5484
1980s– Dec. 1991	Aeroflot Flight 4225 1981 Pushkin Tu-104 crash Aeroflot Flight 498 1981 Armenia mid-air collision 1981 Zheleznogorsk mid-air collision Aeroflot Flight 811 Aeroflot Flight 3603 Aeroflot Flight 8641 Aeroflot Flight 411 Aeroflot Flight 5463 Korean Air Lines Flight 007 Aeroflot Flight 601 Aeroflot Flight 3352 Aeroflot Flight 3519 Aeroflot Flight 7841 1985 Zolochiv mid-air collision Aeroflot Flight 5143 Aeroflot Flight 101/435 Aeroflot Flight 2306 Aeroflot Flight 6502 Aeroflot Flight U-505 Aeroflot Flight N-528 Aeroflot Flight 699 Aeroflot Flight 3739 (1988) 1988 Soviet Air Force Il-76 crash An-24 crash in Navoiy Aeroflot Flight 8556