GVF PS-84 accident at Kielce, Poland, 19 Apr 1945 (CCCP-L3976)
On April 19, 1945, a GVF PS-84 (registration CCCP-L3976) operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Kielce, Poland in flight. 11 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Wrong decision on part of the crew who continued the flight into the clouds without knowing his exact position and the minimum safe altitude for the area. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Probable cause
Wrong decision on part of the crew who continued the flight into the clouds without knowing his exact position and the minimum safe altitude for the area.
— NTSB Determination
Accident narrative
The aircraft was performing a flight from Krakow to Moscow with an intermediate stop in Minsk on behalf of the Commissariat for Communications. En route, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and deviated from the flight prescribed flight path. While flying at an estimated altitude of 250 meters, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Łysica (611 meters high) located 20 km east of Kielce. All six crew members and five passengers were killed while two others were seriously injured.
Probable cause (official findings): Wrong decision on part of the crew who continued the flight into the clouds without knowing his exact position and the minimum safe altitude for the area.