No fatalities

1995-12-21: Antonov AN-24 (RA-46473) — Kuban Airlines - Kuban'skie Avialinii — Krasnodar, Russia

Krasnodar, RussiaLanding (descent or approach)

On December 21, 1995, an Antonov AN-24 (registration RA-46473) operated by Kuban Airlines - Kuban'skie Avialinii was involved in an aviation accident near Krasnodar, Russia during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft was unstable during landing due to an improper center of gravity caused by failure to follow flight preparation procedures. 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 1781207430Data APIEditorial standards
Aircraft registered RA-46473
Aircraft registered RA-46473. Photo: Anna Zvereva / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

An aircraft experienced a nose gear collapse following multiple bounces during its landing at Krasnodar Airport, resulting in no injuries but significant damage to the airframe.

What happened

During a nighttime arrival at Krasnodar Airport, an aircraft traveling from Trabzon began its descent without any prior incidents. Upon touching down, the aircraft experienced a series of five bounces on the runway. During this sequence, sensors recorded a positive acceleration of 3.3 g. Following the fifth impact, the nose landing gear failed, causing the aircraft to slide several dozen meters along the runway before coming to a complete stop.

Despite the impact and the subsequent slide, all 44 occupants on board were able to evacuate the aircraft without sustaining any injuries. However, the aircraft sustained structural damage that rendered it a total loss.

Findings

Investigations into the incident revealed that the flight crew did not follow the established procedures for flight preparation. Specifically, the center of gravity was positioned too far aft, which resulted in the aircraft being in an unstable configuration during the landing phase.

Probable cause

The aircraft was unstable during landing due to an improper center of gravity caused by failure to follow flight preparation procedures.