Tupolev ANT-6 (TB-3 & G-2)

Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines

The crew was performing a cargo flight from Chelyabinsk to Kuybyshev with a load of various goods for a total weight of 2,543 kilos. About 50 minutes after its departure from Chelyabinsk Airport, while approaching the Ural mountains at an altitude of 700 meters, the crew realized he would not be able to overfly the mountain range so he made a turn to the left and slowly climbed to 1,200 meters. Few minutes later, the aircraft encountered katabatic winds, snow falls, strong winds and turbulences. As the crew was unable to maintain a safe altitude and to overfly the mountain range, the captain decided to attempt an emergency landing. At a speed of 65 km/h, he made a last turn to the left when the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in flames in a wooded area located on the slope of a mountain. Three crew members were unhurt, one was slightly injured while the female copilot was killed, apparently by a heart attack. The aircraft was partially destroyed by a post crash fire. The aircraft was a Tupolev G-2, a cargo version of the ANT-6.

Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines

The crew left Almaty Airport at 1110LT on a flight to Kazan with high-ranking party and state officials of the Kazakh government on board. At the time of departure, weather conditions were poor with low clouds, turbulences, fog and severe icing. About sixteen minutes later, the captain decided to return to Almaty Airport and while completing a steep turn to the left at an altitude of 100-150 meters, the aircraft lost height and crashed in flames in a field located 6 km northwest of Dmitriyevka (now Baiserke). Five crew members and 21 passengers were killed while eight other occupants were seriously injured.

Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines

The aircraft left Chardzhou Airport at 0545LT. During the initial climb completed by night, the pilot in command suffered a spatial disorientation and failed to listen the warnings from his copilot. The aircraft lost height, stalled and hit the ground some 10-12 km southeast of the airport before coming to rest in the shallow waters of the Amu-Darya River. Two crew members and five passengers were killed. Two other crew members and four other passengers were injured. All 23 other occupants were unhurt.

Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines

On a cargo flight from Tashkent to Ashgabat at night in support of the Central Asian Military District when the crew did not find Ashgabat Airport due to the black-out and the lack of bearings (although the HQ of the Central Asian Military District had assured that there would be lighting and bearings). The crew lost his orientation and flew to the northwest. At 0225LT, the pilot attempted a forced landing at Kyzyl-Arvat Airfield (Krasnovodsk district of Turkmenistan). On final, the aircraft crashed at a height of 70 meters into a hill located 3 km south of the airport. Four crew members and two passengers were killed while three other occupants were seriously injured.

Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines

The crew was performing a cargo flight from Tashkent to Fergana, carrying a load of three tons of jam, clothes, leather goods and wooden boot-block for a total weight of 3,339 kilos. While cruising at an altitude between 200 and 250 meters, the aircraft encountered heavy winds and turbulences, lost height and crashed 6 km north of Bekobod. The aircraft was destroyed and all six crew members were killed.

Polyarnaya Aviatsiya

On a flight from Bukhta Tikhaya to Buhkta Teplits (N81°47.5') on Rudolph island (Franz-Joseph-Land Archipelago) when had to go around due to a layer of ground fog. Insufficient crew resource management resulted in the aircraft entering the fog layer. The ski of the left main landing gear hit the snow and the undercarriage was ripped off. Aircraft crashed and came to rest on ice. Two crew and one passenger were seriously injured while two other crew and two other passengers were slightly injured. The wreckage still in site in 2006.