What happened
A cargo flight operating from Moscow toward Taiyuan, China, via Norilsk and Bratsk, crashed shortly after departing Chkalovsky Airport. The Airbus A300 (implied by context of heavy cargo/engines) was transporting 40.2 tons of construction materials along with eight crew members and two passengers. At the time of departure, dense fog had reduced horizontal visibility to between 50 and 900 meters, with vertical visibility as low as 70 meters.
During the takeoff roll, which spanned approximately 2,700 meters, the pilot initiated rotation at 290 km/h, exceeding the recommended speed by roughly 25 km/h. At an altitude of 10 meters, the pilot attempted a 7-degree right turn to correct a leftward deviation from the runway centerline. As the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 23-24 meters, the stabilizer position shifted from -5.4° to -3.9°, causing a loss of altitude. Just before impact, the elevators reached a pitch angle of 11-12°. The number 3 and number 4 engines struck trees roughly 930 meters beyond the runway end. The impact tore both engines from the wings, and the aircraft crashed into a wooded area 1,460 meters past the runway, where it caught fire. There were 10 fatalities and no survivors.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the aircraft was significantly over its maximum takeoff weight (MTOW). While certified for 191.9 tons, the actual weight at takeoff was estimated at 204 tons. This was caused by a failure in cargo loading oversight and a lack of documentation control during the loading process, which resulted in an excess of approximately 13.6 to 14 tons of cargo.
Several operational failures contributed to the accident:
- The crew failed to recognize the pilot's errors regarding stabilizer positioning, specifically when the stabilizers moved to -3.9° while flaps were retracted, leading to insufficient lift.
- The aircraft was operated well above its maximum certified takeoff weight.
- Ineffective cockpit coordination meant the co-pilot and navigator did not sufficiently monitor altitude during the low-visibility departure.
- Poor visibility prevented the crew from identifying obstacles beyond the runway end in a timely manner.
- Systematic negligence was identified regarding both company operations and aircraft maintenance protocols.