Leningrad - Yerevan

On December 31, 1970 at 04:37 PM, Leningrad - Yerevan experienced a crash involving Ilyushin II-18, operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines, with the event recorded near Leningrad-Shosseynaya Leningrad oblast.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

84 people were known to be on board, 6 fatalities were recorded, 78 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 7.1%.

Crew on board: 6, crew fatalities: 5, passengers on board: 78, passenger fatalities: 1, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The takeoff from Leningrad-Shosseynaya Airport was performed in low clouds and snow falls. After liftoff at a speed of 250 km/h, the airplane climbed to a height of 30-50 meters when it adopted an excessive nose-up attitude and banked left and right. In a high angle of attack, it continued on a distance of 5,300 meters when it lost height, causing the base of the tail to struck the ground. Out of control, it crashed at a speed of 200 km/h in a snow covered field, rolled for about 210 meters and came to rest 290 meters to the right of the extended centerline. Five crew members and a policeman, Major by the Interior Ministry of the Republic of Armenia were killed while 26 other occupants were injured, some of them seriously. 54 other occupants escaped uninjured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Aircraft reference details include registration CCCP-75773, MSN 181 0036 03, year of manufacture 1961.