Incident Overview
On an unspecified date, an Antonov AN-2 departed from Irkutsk-International Airport on a flight to Kazachinskoye carrying 11 passengers and a crew of two. While climbing to an altitude of 270 meters in limited visibility, the aircraft collided with an Aeroflot Antonov AN-12B registered CCCP-12985. The AN-12B was conducting a local training flight with seven crew members on board.
Collision and Aftermath
Following the collision, the AN-2 went out of control and crashed in flames approximately 200 meters from the point of impact. All 13 occupants of the AN-2 were killed. The crew of the AN-12 elected to make an emergency landing. The aircraft crash-landed in a prairie located 3,980 meters past the departure end of the runway. It slid on the ground for 220 meters before colliding with a concrete mast, which cut the airplane in two. All seven crew members escaped uninjured.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the collision was the consequence of wrong decision and poor planning on the part of air traffic control acting in the tower at Irkutsk-Magan Airport. Lack of visibility was considered a contributing factor.