On September 28, 1941, a Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41/SB 2) (registration CCCP-L3542) operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Pilno, Russia in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft crashed after the crew abandoned it following an extended search for their destination airport, which they could not locate due to poor visibility at night. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A mail aircraft operating at night in poor visibility failed to locate its destination after four hours of flight. The crew ejected safely, leaving the plane to crash beyond enemy lines with no injuries reported.
What happened
The incident involved a mail flight that was returning to the operator's base. During the cruise phase at night, the crew encountered poor visibility conditions which prevented them from locating their intended airport. After enduring a four-hour flight without successful navigation, the crew decided to abandon the aircraft. The plane subsequently crashed in an area described as being beyond enemy lines.
Findings
Both members of the crew survived the incident and were reported to be uninjured. The primary operational challenge cited was the inability to identify the destination airport due to low visibility during a night operation.
Probable cause
The aircraft crashed after the crew abandoned it following an extended search for their destination airport, which they could not locate due to poor visibility at night.
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