Incident Overview
On an unspecified date at Sukhumi Airport, a Let L-410M was involved in a collision with an Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-134 registered CCCP-65836. The Let L-410 had departed the terminal and was approaching the runway for a scheduled service to Kutaisi, carrying nine passengers and a crew of two. At 1808 local time, the crew of the Tupolev Tu-134, carrying 76 passengers and a crew of six en route to Moscow-Vnukovo, was cleared for takeoff from runway 02.
Sequence of Events
During the takeoff run, 26 seconds after it started to roll, at a speed of 195 km/h, the crew of the Tu-134 sighted the Let L-410 entering the runway. The captain decided to abandon the takeoff and initiated emergency braking. Spoilers were deployed and reverse systems were activated. He elected to turn left to reach an exit taxiway. Simultaneously, the crew of the Let saw the Tu-134 approaching from their right and increased engine power to move forward. Seven seconds after the rejection of takeoff, at a speed of 216 km/h, the right wing of the Tu-134 struck the Let L-410, which was destroyed upon impact. The Tu-134 rolled for about 514 meters, veered off the runway to the left, and came to rest 48 meters to the left of the runway centerline.
Casualties and Damage
All 82 occupants of the Tu-134 escaped uninjured. All 11 occupants of the Let L-410 were killed. The Let L-410 was destroyed.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the collision was the consequence of a series of errors made by the crew of the Let L-410, who failed to follow ATC and ground controllers' instructions regarding taxiing procedures prior to takeoff, which led them to enter the runway when they were not authorized to do so. A poor management in flight operations at Sukhumi Airport remained a contributing factor, as well as few procedural violations on the part of ATC and ground controllers, among others concerning the use of non-standard phraseology which may have created confusion for the crew.