FlightFinder
Check my flight
12 fatalities

Single-Engine Aircraft Crash Near Semipalatinsk (CCCP-33181)

Semipalatinsk, KazakhstanFlight

On December 10, 1960, an Antonov AN-2 (registration CCCP-33181) operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan in flight. 12 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The immediate cause was a loss of speed resulting in a stall due to a loss of longitudinal controllability when the aircraft's center of gravity moved beyond the 40-42% envelope range. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 5 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Source recordUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

A single-engine aircraft crashed 35 km south of Semipalatinsk after encountering poor weather. All 12 occupants were killed. The official cause was a stall due to a center of gravity shift.

Incident Overview and Flight Details A single-engine aircraft departed Semipalatinsk Airport at 0917 local time, bound for Abay. The flight carried 10 passengers and two pilots, totaling 12 occupants. Approximately fifteen minutes after takeoff, the crew encountered deteriorating weather conditions, including a broken sky between 600 and 1,000 meters, snowfall, winds up to 45 km/h, and visibility ranging from 4 to 6 km. Under these conditions, air traffic control instructed the crew to return to Semipalatinsk. The crew acknowledged this instruction at 0936 local time, after which contact was lost.

Probable cause

The immediate cause was a loss of speed resulting in a stall due to a loss of longitudinal controllability when the aircraft's center of gravity moved beyond the 40-42% envelope range. This shift occurred when several passengers moved from the rear of the cabin (toilet). Contributing factors included poor flight preparation by the crew, who failed to properly check weather conditions, and the lack of visibility.
Loss of control in flight

Related events

Same operator

More accident analyses