Odessa – Kiev – Chelyabinsk – Novosibirsk – Irkutsk – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok

On July 25, 1971 at 08:35 AM, Odessa – Kiev – Chelyabinsk – Novosibirsk – Irkutsk – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok experienced a crash involving Tupolev TU-104, operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines, with the event recorded near Irkutsk-Intl Irkutsk oblast.

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

126 people were known to be on board, 97 fatalities were recorded, 29 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 77.0%.

Crew on board: 8, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 118, passenger fatalities: 93, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Flight SU1912 departed Odessa Airport in Ukraine on July 24 to Vladivostok with intermediate stops in Kiev, Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk and Khabarovsk. While descending to Irkutsk-Intl Airport in the morning, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds and rain falls. As the visibility was limited, the crew was unable to locate the runway and obtained an ATC assistance on final. Unfortunately, the aircraft was unstable and the crew was instructed by ATC to turn to the right to reach the glide as the aircraft was descending to the left. At an excessive vertical speed and an approach speed 32 km/h below the prescribed approach speed, the aircraft banked left and right. The right main gear struck the runway surface 154 meters past the runway threshold and the left main gear touched the ground 183 meters from the threshold. The ground impact was in excess of the g-load certification. After touchdown, the airplane went out of control, deviated from the centerline to the left, lost its left wing and came to rest in flames after a course of 500 meters to the left of the main runway. 97 occupants, among them four crew members, were killed, while 29 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Aircraft reference details include registration CCCP-42405, MSN 8 2 02 02, year of manufacture 1958.