What happened
On the morning of the accident, flight LO5055 departed from Warsaw runway 33, bound for New York-JFK. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing through FL265 toward the GRU VOR, a critical mechanical failure occurred in the number two engine. The low pressure turbine shaft broke loose, leading to the disintegration of the turbine disc. This event released debris that pierced the rear fuselage, triggering a fire within the cargo compartment.
The structural damage caused by the engine failure severed the elevator control system and necessitated the shutdown of the number one engine. In response to the emergency, the crew initiated a descent to 4,000 metres. After deactivating both engines, the crew believed the fire had been suppressed. While the initial plan was to divert to Modlin airport, the pilots redirected the aircraft to Warsaw-Okecie runway 33 to utilize superior rescue services.
At 11:09, while flying at an altitude of 1,450 metres and a speed of 480 km/h, the crew began a left turn toward the approach path. During this maneuver, the aircraft lost controllability. The Il-62 struck a forest approximately 6 km from the runway with an airspeed of 465 km/h, maintaining an 11° left bank and a 12° nose-down attitude. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, resulting in 183 fatalities.
Findings
Investigations determined that the primary cause was the destruction of the number two engine, which led to the loss of longitudinal control, cabin depressurization, electrical damage, and an intense fire. A significant contributing factor was that the failure of the turbine shaft and disc occurred without any prior warning from the aircraft's monitoring systems. This lack of notification prevented the crew from managing the engine failure before it escalated into a catastrophic emergency. Ultimately, the ongoing fire caused the loss of control during the final stages of the flight.