Aeroflot Flight 35
| An Il-12 similar to the one involved | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | April30,1953(1953年04月30日) |
| Summary | Bird strike leading to ditching |
| Site | |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircrafttype | Ilyushin Il-12 |
| Operator | Vnukovo Airlines on behalf of Aeroflot |
| Registration | CCCP-L1777 |
| Flight origin | Vnukovo International Airport, Moscow, Russian SFSR |
| Stopover | Kazan-2 Airport, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russian SFSR |
| Destination | Severny Airport, Novosibirsk, Novosibirsk Oblast, Russian SFSR |
| Occupants | 23 |
| Passengers | 18 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Survivors | 22 |
Aeroflot Flight 35 was a domestic route in Russian SFSR, Soviet Union from Moscow to Novosibirsk with a stop at Kazan. On April 30, 1953, the Il-12 struck with birds, causing the engines to failed. The crew decided to ditch at the Volga River in Kazan, saving all but one passenger on the flight.[1] [2]
Aircraft and crew
[edit ]The aircraft involved was a Ilyushin Il-12 registered as CCCP-L1777 and was produced on March 24, 1949. It was delivered to 65th Aviation Detachment (Vnukovo Airlines now).[3]
The crew consisted of:
- Captain: Rodion Mikhailovich Suvorov
- Co-pilot: Anatoly Alekseevich Krestenko
- Flight mechanic: Nikolai Vasilyevich Maltsev
- Flight attendant: V.I. Lopatin
- Flight attendant: Shlyapenko[3]
Accident
[edit ]In flight
[edit ]The aircraft began takeoff at 19:11, and reached at the altitude of 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) under visual flight rules (VFR) conditions.[4] After passing through Surovatikha, the crew noticed thunderstorms ahead of their sight, so they descended to 600-700 meters (1,970-2,300 feet), bypassing the thunderstorm. The plane entered the Kazan’s airspace at an altitude of 600 meters (1,970 feet). Upon landing, the crew requested entry to the circling approach area, and they’re were instructed to descend to 300 meters (985 feet).[5]
At 21:37[2] , the plane encountered a sudden impact. Both propellers simultaneously stopped working, and the exhaust pipe caught fire. The crew were unable to extinguish the fire. The aircraft was rapidly losing altitude. Captain Rodion prepared for the force-landing and successfully ditched at the Volga River. [5]
Rescue operation
[edit ]After landing, the water began to fill up the plane. The crew members were locked inside the cockpit which was blocked by a load in the front cabin, but managed to escape from the help of passengers. The Il-12 sank at the depth of 18 meters, and the occupants were waiting for rescue. The accident was witnessed by the local residents, so they immediately approached to the scene and saved the people by boat. The occupants were taken ashore. One passengers had died by drowning as he put a coat with him, which preventing him from staying afloat.[6] [2]
According to a passenger in the investigation, the crew announced the force-landing on the ground, which made the passengers to pack up their belongings instead of immediately leaving off the aircraft.[6] [2]
Investigation
[edit ]The investigation revealed that the plane had collided with a pack of ducks. Pieces of them were found between the cylinders of the left propeller. A duck had hit the cockpit glass, reducing the pilots’ visibility. The strike caused the ignition of both of the propellers to fail. This cause the combustible mixture that entered the cylinders to ignite inside the exhaust pipes; therefore, the crew mistook it with an in-flight fire.[5] [6]
Aftermath
[edit ]The remains of the plane were recovered on May 16, 1953 - 16 days after the accident, and was written off ten days later.[6]
References
[edit ]- ↑ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Ilyushin Il-12P CCCP-L1777, Thursday 30 April 1953". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2026年08月03日.
- 1 2 3 4 "Пернатые «террористы»". transportrussia.ru. Retrieved 2026年08月03日.
- 1 2 "Авиакатастрофа Ил-12 в районе речного порта Казани. 1953". avia.pro. Retrieved 2026年08月03日.
- ↑ "Crash of an Ilyushin II-12P in Kazan: 1 killed | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives". www.baaa-acro.com. Retrieved 2026年08月03日.
- 1 2 3 "Катастрофа Ил-12 МУТА ГВФ на реке Волга в районе речного порта Казани (борт СССР-Л1777), 30 апреля 1953 года. // AirDisaster.ru - авиационные происшествия, инциденты и авиакатастрофы в СССР и России - факты, история, статистика". airdisaster.ru. Retrieved 2026年08月03日.
- 1 2 3 4 Зинатуллин, Эдуард (2020年04月23日). "Последняя из Чернояровых: почему дочь купца осталась в Казани и кто ее приютил | КОШКА /Казань". Kazancat (in Russian). Retrieved 2026年08月03日.
- Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Ilyushin Il-12
- Aviation accidents and incidents in 1953
- Airliner accidents and incidents caused by engine failure
- Airliner accidents and incidents involving bird strikes
- Aeroflot accidents and incidents
- Aviation accidents and incidents in the Soviet Union