Junkers JU.52 accident at Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 14 Jan 1945 (CCCP-L46)
On January 14, 1945, a Junkers JU.52 (registration CCCP-L46) operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Dushanbe, Tajikistan in flight. 3 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The Tadjik investigation commission reported that the accident was caused by several errors committed by the crew. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Probable cause
The Tadjik investigation commission reported that the accident was caused by several errors committed by the crew. The NII GVF inspection disagreed with these results and reported that the crash may have been caused by a technical issue on a fuel line (carburetor and/or collector) linked to the right BMW-132 engine.
— NTSB Determination
Accident narrative
On a cargo flight from Stalinabad to Kulyab when the right wing caught fire some 20 minutes into the flight (probably due to a leak in a fuel pipe). The fuel tanks in the right wing exploded, the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed into rocks in the Rangon Mountain Range located southeast of Stalinabad. All three crew members were killed.
Probable cause (official findings): The Tadjik investigation commission reported that the accident was caused by several errors committed by the crew. The NII GVF inspection disagreed with these results and reported that the crash may have been caused by a technical issue on a fuel line (carburetor and/or collector) linked to the right BMW-132 engine.