Kresty Kolymskiye – Chokurdakh – Mys Kosistyy

On November 1, 1948 at 09:40 PM, Kresty Kolymskiye – Chokurdakh – Mys Kosistyy experienced a crash involving Lisunov LI-2, operated by Polyarnaya Aviatsiya, with the event recorded near Mys Kosistyy Krasnoyarsk Krai.

The flight was categorized as cargo and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a plain, valley crash site.

6 people were known to be on board, 6 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: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The crew was performing a cargo flight from Kresty Kolymskiye to Mys Kosistyy with an intermediate stop in Chokurdakh. Approaching this airport, weather conditions were poor and the captain decided to divert to the alternate airport of Ust-Yansk located 420 km west of Chokurdakh. On ground at Ust-Yansk, a technical problem was identified on the right engine. After repairs, some tests were made for 1 hour and 10 minutes and as they were conclusive, it was decided to proceed to Mys Kosistyy. En route, while cruising at an altitude of 2,100 meters, the crew encountered technical problems with the right engine due to a loss of hydraulic pressure. The pilot was able to shut the engine down but unfortunately, it was not possible to feather the propeller. Due to high drag, the aircraft was unable to maintain a safe altitude and the crew elected to make an emergency landing. While descending through clouds, the crew encountered icing conditions and the windscreen was covered by ice. In such conditions, the pilot was unable to distinguish the ground when the aircraft crashed in a frozen area located 16 km east of Mys Kosistyy. The wreckage and the six dead bodies were found 16 days later, on November 17, 1948.

Aircraft reference details include registration CCCP-N494, MSN 184 30 12.