Accident
A local training mission involving an Antonov An-12 was underway at Irkutsk-Intl Airport. During the ninth approach to runway 30, the crew received clearance to execute a go-around as part of the training program. While climbing to an altitude of 270 meters in limited visibility, the An-12 collided with an Aeroflot-operated PZL-Mielec Antonov An-2R, registered CCCP-49342.
The An-2R had just taken off from the same runway, en route to Kazachinskoye, carrying 11 passengers and two pilots. Following the collision, the An-2 went out of control and crashed in flames approximately 200 meters from the collision point. All 13 individuals on board were killed.
The crew of the An-12 elected to make an emergency landing. The aircraft crash-landed in a prairie located 3,980 meters past the runway end. It slid on the ground for 220 meters before striking a concrete mast, which severed the aircraft into two sections. All seven crew members aboard the An-12 escaped uninjured.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined that the collision was the consequence of wrong decision and poor planning on the part of air traffic control (ATC) personnel acting in the tower at Irkutsk-Magan Airport. Lack of visibility was considered a contributing factor.