What happened
On a scheduled international service from Copenhagen to Tokyo via Moscow, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62, registration JA8040, experienced a fatal accident during departure from Sheremetyevo Airport. After an unremarkable arrival in Moscow earlier that evening, the aircraft completed ground servicing and received clearance to taxi at 19:38. The flight was cleared for takeoff from runway 25 at 19:49.
During the initial climb, the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 100 meters before experiencing a sudden loss of altitude. The plane struck the ground and subsequently caught fire. Of the 62 passengers and 14 crew members on board, there were 47 fatalities (representing the loss of 59 individuals in total), while 15 people survived the impact.
Findings
The investigation determined that after reaching safety speed V2, the aircraft entered a supercritical angle of attack, which caused a rapid decrease in airspeed and altitude. This aerodynamic state was attributed to one of several potential mechanical or operational failures:
- The accidental deployment of spoilers during flight, which would have increased drag and reduced the lift-to-drag ratio.
- A loss of aircraft control following malfunctions in either the number 1 or number 2 engines, potentially caused by ice accumulation on the engine intakes while the de-icing systems were inactive.
Investigators noted that observed engine irregularities might have been a secondary effect occurring after the aircraft had already entered the supercritical angle of attack with extended spoilers.