What happened
In the early morning hours, an aircraft departed from Polar Station SP-21, traveling toward the North Pole within the Arctic region. The flight was intended to facilitate communications with Soviet submarines operating in the area. On board were six crew members and three hydrologists.
During the mission, the crew identified a potential landing site located approximately 500 km north of the Queen Elizabeth Islands in the Northwest Territories. Following the landing, the scientists conducted an inspection of the surface, determining that the ice thickness was only 47 cm. This measurement indicated that the frozen surface was not stable enough to support the aircraft for an extended duration.
While attempting to relocate the plane to a more secure area, both the left and right skis broke through the ice surface. The aircraft became trapped in the ice, making any movement impossible. Because the plane contained sensitive equipment, the decision was made to destroy the partially submerged vessel to prevent the loss of the technology.
Findings
- The primary reason for the incident was insufficient ice thickness at the landing site.
- All nine occupants survived the event and were successfully evacuated two days after the incident by an Antonov AN-2 crew.