Polikarpov Po-2 accident at Ermakovskoye, Russia, 21 Oct 1941 (CCCP-P245)
On October 21, 1941, a Polikarpov Po-2 (registration CCCP-P245) operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Ermakovskoye, Russia in flight. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Lack of discipline on part of the pilot who continued the flight at an unsafe altitude to clear the local obstacles. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Probable cause
Lack of discipline on part of the pilot who continued the flight at an unsafe altitude to clear the local obstacles.
— NTSB Determination
Accident narrative
In the early morning, the crew completed a training flight from Abakan to Ermakovskoye with an intermediate stop in Kuragino. The airplane landed at 1000LT at Ermakovskoye Airfield then departed on a back trip to Abakan. After takeoff, the pilot climbed to a height of 10 metres then made a 180 turn bound to Abakan. While flying at low height some two km from the airfield, the airplane collided with a tall pine, lost height and crashed 150 metres further. The pilot was injured and the cadet was killed.
Probable cause (official findings): Lack of discipline on part of the pilot who continued the flight at an unsafe altitude to clear the local obstacles.