No fatalities

1988-11-19: Ilyushin II-76 (CCCP-78771) — Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines — Rogachevo AFB, Russia

Rogachevo AFB, RussiaLanding (descent or approach)

On November 19, 1988, an Ilyushin II-76 (registration CCCP-78771) operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Rogachevo AFB, Russia during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight crew likely experienced visual impairment due to landing lights reflecting off falling snow. 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 1781214657Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft experienced a runway excursion during a night landing at Rogachevo AFB due to heavy snowfall and visibility issues.

What happened

During a nighttime approach to Rogachevo AFB (Amderma-2), the aircraft encountered low visibility caused by active snowfall. Upon touchdown, the aircraft was traveling at 276 km/h and experienced a positive acceleration of 1.85 g, landing approximately five meters to the right of the runway centerline. The impact resulted in a bounce, leading to a second touchdown 160 meters further down the runway with an acceleration of 1.8 g.

Following the second contact with the ground, the aircraft lost directional control and veered off the runway to the right side. During the excursion, the plane struck an APM-90 spotlight system mounted on a ZiL-130 truck chassis. The collision caused the separation of the right main landing gear and both engines on the right side of the airframe. The aircraft eventually stopped in the snow. There were no injuries among the 10 occupants, though the aircraft sustained damage that rendered it a total loss.

Findings

Investigation into the incident suggests that the crew may have been blinded by light reflection from a snow flurry hitting the aircraft's landing lights during the final approach.

Probable cause

The flight crew likely experienced visual impairment due to landing lights reflecting off falling snow.