No fatalities

Aircraft Strikes Ground After Pilot Ignores ATC Diversion Instruction (CCCP-75519)

Karaganda, KazakhstanLanding (descent or approach)

On January 9, 1968, an Ilyushin II-18 (registration CCCP-75519) operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Karaganda, Kazakhstan during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Crew error. 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

During approach to Karaganda Airport, a pilot disregarded ATC's instruction to divert to Tselinograd due to airfield closure. The aircraft descended below safe altitude, hit the ground during a go-around, and came to rest 700 meters short of the runway. All occupants survived, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Incident Summary

An aircraft on approach to Karaganda Airport experienced an accident after the pilot ignored an air traffic control instruction to divert to Tselinograd. The aircraft struck the ground during a go-around and came to rest 700 meters short of the runway threshold. All occupants survived, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Sequence of Events

While the aircraft was descending toward Karaganda Airport, air traffic control instructed the crew to divert to Tselinograd because the airfield was closed to traffic. The pilot did not comply with this message and continued the descent. After the aircraft passed through the last cloud layer, it was too low. The captain then decided to perform a go-around, but during the maneuver, the aircraft struck the ground and came to rest 700 meters short of the runway threshold.

Investigation Findings

The official investigation determined the probable cause of the accident to be crew error. No other causal factors were identified in the source material. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair, and all occupants survived the occurrence.