20 fatalities

Soviet Navy Aircraft Crash During Night Approach

Lakhta AFB, RussiaLanding (descent or approach)

On January 23, 1966, an Antonov AN-8 operated by Soviet Navy - Voyenno-morskoy flot CCCP was involved in an aviation accident near Lakhta AFB, Russia during landing or approach. 20 people were killed. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

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

An aircraft crashed short of the runway at Lakhta AFB during a night approach in poor weather, killing all 20 occupants, including 16 senior Soviet Navy officers.

Incident Overview and Route Details The accident involved a military aircraft that was operating a flight from Kipelovo Air Force Base in Vologda Oblast to Lakhta Air Force Base, located south of Arkhangelsk. The source does not identify the aircraft type, registration, operator, or specific date of the event. ## Circumstances of the Crash During the final approach at night, the pilot reported encountering poor weather conditions. The aircraft subsequently struck the ground and crashed a few hundred yards short of the runway threshold at Lakhta AFB. ## Casualties All 20 people on board were killed in the crash. Among the fatalities were 16 high-ranking officers of the Soviet Navy.