Yerevan - Stepanakert

On August 1, 1990 at 10:09 AM, Yerevan - Stepanakert experienced a crash involving Yakovlev Yak-40, operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines, with the event recorded near Stepanakert Yukhari Garabakh.

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

47 people were known to be on board, 47 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 43, passenger fatalities: 43, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft operated on a passenger service from Yerevan-Erebuni Airport to Stepanakert Airport. In addition to 30 passengers with tickets, the crew took on board 13 unregistered passengers. With this heavy load, the captain requested a lower altitude, 4,500 meters, for the flight. This was granted by ATC, while the regular altitude on the route was 5,100-6,600 meters with a minimum safe height of 4,516 meters. At 09:59, at a distance of 21 km after passing the Azizbekov NDB, the crew was taken over by a controller of Kafan Airport. The controller instructed to keep the height of 4,500 meters to the point of descent. The flight was the cleared down to 3,900 meters and the aircraft descended over mountains covered by a cloud deck with an upper boundary of 3,000-3,300 meters. However, the flight crew never reported their exact position and the controller did not check it on radar. The flight reached the altitude of 3,900 meters at 10:07, and continued descending without informing the controller. At 10:08, the captain requested to contact Stepanakert, while giving a false report that the flight altitude was 3,900 meters. Not observing the aircraft, not knowing its actual flight altitude and not having direct communication with the controller at Stepanakert, the Kafan ATC controller allowed the crew to switch to the Stepanakert frequency. The captain reported to the controller that they were at an altitude of 3,900 meters and requested permission to descend to 2,400 meters. The controller at Stepanakert, having no radar facilities to monitor the aircraft, permitted a descent to 3,000 meters the NDB. At 10:09:57, the aircraft collided with a rocky mountain slope at an altitude of 2,520 meters while descending in clouds. All 47 occupants were killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration CCCP-87453, MSN 9 43 10 36, year of manufacture 1974.