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1977 Japan Airlines Flight 446 Crash at Moscow Sheremetyevo (JA8040)

Moscow-Sheremetyevo, RussiaTakeoff (climb)

On November 28, 1972, a Douglas DC-8 (registration JA8040) operated by Japan Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Moscow-Sheremetyevo, Russia during takeoff. 61 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The official investigation determined that the disaster was caused by the crew placing the aircraft into a supercritical angle of attack after reaching the safety speed V2 during takeoff, which led to a loss of speed and altitude. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards
Aircraft registered JA8040
Aircraft registered JA8040. Photo: Peter de Groot / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A Japan Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62, registration JA8040, crashed on takeoff from Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport. Five crew and ten passengers survived the accident.

Flight Details and Accident Sequence Japan Airlines Flight 446 was a scheduled international service operating from Copenhagen, Denmark, to Tokyo-Haneda, Japan, with an en route stop in Moscow. The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62 with registration JA8040, arrived at Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) at 18:17 after an uneventful flight. Following servicing, the aircraft received startup and taxi clearance at 19:38. At 19:49, the flight was cleared for takeoff from runway 25. During the takeoff roll, the DC-8 climbed to an altitude of 100 meters but entered a supercritical angle of attack. The aircraft subsequently lost altitude abruptly, struck the ground, and burst into flames. The accident resulted in the destruction of the aircraft, with five of the 14 crew members and ten of the 62 passengers surviving.

Probable cause

The official investigation determined that the disaster was caused by the crew placing the aircraft into a supercritical angle of attack after reaching the safety speed V2 during takeoff, which led to a loss of speed and altitude. The investigation identified two possible contributing circumstances: inadvertent extension of the spoilers in flight, which reduced lift and increased drag, or loss of control by the crew due to a malfunction of the No. 1 or No. 2 engine, potentially caused by ice formation on the engine intake while the de-icing system was switched off. The investigation noted that engine anomalies observed by the crew and witnesses may have occurred after the aircraft had already entered the supercritical angle of attack with the spoilers extended.
Loss of control in flight

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