Night Descent Accident Near Kilpyavr AFB (CCCP-45083)

Incident Overview and Casualties During a night flight at an assigned altitude of 8,400 meters, the crew received clearance to descend to 2,400 meters while bound for Kilpyavr AFB near Murmansk. While maintaining a 3° nose-down attitude, the aircraft struck the snow-covered slope of a hill that was 240 meters high. The airplane slid for 624 meters before losing both engines and wings, eventually coming to a halt broken in two. The wreckage was located 29.5 kilometers from the airport and 8 kilometers to the right of the extended centerline. The accident resulted in the deaths of eight passengers and three crew members, specifically the captain, navigator, and flight engineer. Additionally, 27 other occupants sustained injuries. ## Official Findings and Contributing Factors The official investigation determined that the pilot-in-command initiated the descent prematurely, which caused the aircraft to descend below the minimum prescribed altitude. The lack of visibility due to nighttime conditions and the absence of visual reference points on the ground prevented the crew from determining their exact position or distinguishing ground obstacles. Air traffic control had allowed the crew to perform a straight-in approach with radar control. The investigation identified several contributing factors, including the absence of an established approach procedure, intermittent loss of VHF communications during the approach, and the relative inexperience of the flying crew, who had less than 500 flying hours on this type of aircraft.