Aeroflot Flight A-53

Aeroflot Flight A-53

An Aeroflot Yak-40, similar to the accident aircraft
Accident
Date	15 August 1975
Summary	Downdraft during approach
Site	4 km south of Krasnovodsk Airport, Krasnovodsk, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Yakovlev Yak-40
Operator	Aeroflot
Registration	CCCP-87323
Flight origin	Baku-Bina International Airport, Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union
Destination	Krasnovodsk Airport, Krasnovodsk, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union
Passengers	34
Crew	4
Fatalities	23
Survivors	15

Aeroflot Flight A-53 was a commercial flight from Baku to Krasnovodsk. It crashed on approach due to poor weather. It is the second deadliest plane crash in Turkmenistan, behind Aeroflot Flight 112.

Accident

At 21:37 Moscow time the crew made contact with approach control which authorized a descent from 4,500 metres (14,800 ft). By 21:54 the aircraft had descended to 500 metres (1,600 ft) and the crew was informed of rough weather. At an altitude of 300 metres (980 ft) the plane was in a headwind with flaps extended at 35° and engines below maximum thrust causing the speed to fall from 260 km/h (140 kn) to 210-200 km/h (110 kn) and the descent rate to increase. Thrust was increased but the descent continued due to a downdraft. The plane entered a left bank of 40° and hit a rocky cliff, tearing off the right wing and engine. It then bounced before crashing and catching fire.

Causes

The plane entered a downdraft which caused a loss of speed and altitude. This was made possible by a lack of knowledge on part of the meteorologist and the absence of a system that could have detected this phenomenon. The crew's inexperience also contributed to the accident.

See also

• Aeroflot accidents and incidents
• Aeroflot accidents and incidents in the 1970s