Kazan - Chelyabinsk - Alma-Ata

Following an uneventful flight from Chelyabinsk at an altitude of 10,200 meters, the crew was cleared to initiate the approach to Alma-Ata Airport in view of a landing on runway 05. By night, the crew was instructed to initiate a left turn and to descend to an altitude of 600 meters after being informed of an II-62 approaching eight km right of their position. As the aircraft was too low, the GPWS warning sounded in the cockpit. For unknown reasons, the crew failed to react promptly and initiated a corrective maneuver 23 seconds later. The aircraft nosed up to an angle of 14° then turned left to an angle of 11-12° when it struck two seconds later the slope of Mt Dolan (690 meters high) located about 36 km west of Almaty Airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 90 occupants were killed. The wreckage was found 24 meters below the summit.

Flight / Schedule

Kazan - Chelyabinsk - Alma-Ata

Aircraft

Tupolev TU-134

Registration

CCCP-65129

MSN

60630

Year of Manufacture

1978

Date

August 30, 1983 at 08:17 PM

Type

CRASH

Flight Type

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Flight Phase

Landing (descent or approach)

Crash Site

Mountains

Crash Location

Almaty Almaty Province

Region

Asia • Kazakhstan

Coordinates

42.9914°, 77.1967°

Crash Cause

Human factor

Narrative Report

On August 30, 1983 at 08:17 PM, Kazan - Chelyabinsk - Alma-Ata experienced a crash involving Tupolev TU-134, operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines, with the event recorded near Almaty Almaty Province.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a mountains crash site.

90 people were known to be on board, 90 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 6, crew fatalities: 6, passengers on board: 84, passenger fatalities: 84, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Following an uneventful flight from Chelyabinsk at an altitude of 10,200 meters, the crew was cleared to initiate the approach to Alma-Ata Airport in view of a landing on runway 05. By night, the crew was instructed to initiate a left turn and to descend to an altitude of 600 meters after being informed of an II-62 approaching eight km right of their position. As the aircraft was too low, the GPWS warning sounded in the cockpit. For unknown reasons, the crew failed to react promptly and initiated a corrective maneuver 23 seconds later. The aircraft nosed up to an angle of 14° then turned left to an angle of 11-12° when it struck two seconds later the slope of Mt Dolan (690 meters high) located about 36 km west of Almaty Airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 90 occupants were killed. The wreckage was found 24 meters below the summit.

Aircraft reference details include registration CCCP-65129, MSN 60630, year of manufacture 1978.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 42.9914°, 77.1967°.

Fatalities

Total

90

Crew

6

Passengers

84

Other

0

Crash Summary

Following an uneventful flight from Chelyabinsk at an altitude of 10,200 meters, the crew was cleared to initiate the approach to Alma-Ata Airport in view of a landing on runway 05. By night, the crew was instructed to initiate a left turn and to descend to an altitude of 600 meters after being informed of an II-62 approaching eight km right of their position. As the aircraft was too low, the GPWS warning sounded in the cockpit. For unknown reasons, the crew failed to react promptly and initiated a corrective maneuver 23 seconds later. The aircraft nosed up to an angle of 14° then turned left to an angle of 11-12° when it struck two seconds later the slope of Mt Dolan (690 meters high) located about 36 km west of Almaty Airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 90 occupants were killed. The wreckage was found 24 meters below the summit.

Cause: Human factor

Occupants & Outcome

Crew On Board

6

Passengers On Board

84

Estimated Survivors

0

Fatality Rate

100.0%

Known people on board: 90

Operational Details

Schedule / Flight

Kazan - Chelyabinsk - Alma-Ata

Flight Type

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Flight Phase

Landing (descent or approach)

Crash Site

Mountains

Region / Country

Asia • Kazakhstan

Aircraft Details

Aircraft

Tupolev TU-134

Registration

CCCP-65129

MSN

60630

Year of Manufacture

1978

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