Anapa - Saint Petersburg

On August 22, 2006 at 03:39 PM, Anapa - Saint Petersburg experienced a crash involving Tupolev TU-154, operated by Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise, with the event recorded near Novgorodskoye Donetsk Oblast.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

170 people were known to be on board, 170 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 10, crew fatalities: 10, passengers on board: 160, passenger fatalities: 160, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. The aircraft departed Anapa Airport at 1505LT and climbed to the assigned altitude of 11,700 metres. Due to the presence of stormy weather ahead, the crew was cleared to modify his route and changed heading to avoid the thunderstorm area with CB's up to 15 km. The aircraft encountered severe turbulences and climbed from 11,961 metres to 12,794 metres within 10 seconds, reaching a super critical angle of attack of 46° with a speed dropping from 350 km/h to zero, causing all three engines to stop. The crew was able to send a brief message then the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent in a flat spin. At an altitude of 3,300 metres, the crew informed ATC that control was totally lost. The aircraft crashed in a prairie located near Novgorodskoye, about 45 km northwest of Donetsk. It was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire, and all 170 occupants were killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration RA-85185, MSN 91A-894, year of manufacture 1991.