7 fatalities

Seven Killed as Aircraft Crashes into Iced Lake After Takeoff

Petrozavodsk, RussiaTakeoff (climb)

On March 4, 1978, an Ilyushin II-14 operated by Soviet Air Force - Voyenno-vozdushnye sily CCCP was involved in an aviation accident near Petrozavodsk, Russia during takeoff. 7 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: It was determined that the artificial horizon failed after takeoff. While climbing into clouds, the pilot-in-command suffered a spatial disorientation and lost control of the airplane. 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

After takeoff from Petrozavodsk Airport, the airplane entered clouds and the pilot lost control, causing it to dive into iced Urozero Lake. All seven occupants died. The artificial horizon had failed leading to spatial disorientation.

Accident Details

An airplane departed from Petrozavodsk Airport on a flight to Vaskovo Airport in Arkhangelsk. During the initial climb after takeoff, the aircraft entered cloud cover. While climbing through the clouds, the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane. The airplane subsequently entered a dive and crashed into the iced surface of Urozero Lake. The impact caused the aircraft to partially sink. All seven individuals aboard the aircraft were killed in the accident.

Probable Cause

The official investigation into the accident determined the probable cause. It found that the artificial horizon instrument failed after takeoff. Due to this failure, while the airplane was climbing into clouds, the pilot-in-command experienced spatial disorientation. This spatial disorientation resulted in the pilot losing control of the airplane, leading to the dive and crash.