41 fatalities

Fatal Charter Flight Crash in Bugulma Due to Icing and Approach Errors (CCCP-47823)

Bugulma, RussiaLanding (descent or approach)

On November 26, 1991, an Antonov AN-24 (registration CCCP-47823) operated by Tatarstan Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Bugulma, Russia during landing or approach. 41 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident was the consequence of the combination of the following factors: Icing conditions and poor weather conditions that were underestimated and misevaluated by the flight crew; an excessive accumulation of frost on the stabilizers (up to 15… This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-11Data APIEditorial standards

A charter flight from Nizhnevartovsk to Bugulma crashed after the crew continued an approach in icing conditions. The aircraft stalled during a go-around, killing all 41 occupants.

Flight Details and Weather Conditions The aircraft departed Nizhnevartovsk on a charter flight to Bugulma, carrying four crew members and 37 employees from an oil company. Weather conditions in Bugulma were poor, with clouds down to 80 metres, icing conditions, and a visibility of 800 metres. During the approach, the crew encountered icing conditions at an altitude of 1,100 metres but did not activate the deicing systems. As the aircraft descended to 900 metres, an icing alarm sounded in the cockpit, but the captain decided to continue the approach in that configuration. ## Approach and Go-Around After the crew selected the flaps down to an angle of 30°, the aircraft was cleared to land. However, it became unstable and departed the approach path to the right. After crossing the permissible deviation limit, air traffic control instructed the crew to initiate a go-around procedure. The captain increased engine power and began the go-around maneuver, but the aircraft adopted a high angle of attack, stalled, and pitched down to an angle of 75-80°. ## Impact and Aftermath At a speed of 260 km/h, the aircraft struck the ground 802 metres short of the runway and was destroyed upon impact. The wreckage was found 598 metres to the right of the extended runway centerline, and all 41 occupants were killed.

Probable cause

The accident was the consequence of the combination of the following factors: Icing conditions and poor weather conditions that were underestimated and misevaluated by the flight crew; an excessive accumulation of frost on the stabilizers (up to 15 millimetres); failure of the crew to activate the deicing systems prior to entering the clouds; the decision of the captain to continue the approach after the icing alarm sounded; the crew selected flaps down to an angle of 30° without inspecting the wings and stabs surfaces (in icing conditions, flaps should be deployed in 15° max); the flaps were not retracted when the crew initiated the go-around procedure, which caused the aircraft to adopt a high angle of attack; poor crew interactions; and lack of crew supervision and mutual monitoring and checks.