On January 14, 1966, a Tupolev TU-134 (registration CCCP-45076) operated by Tupolev Industries - GKAP Tupolev OKB was involved in an aviation accident near Moscow-Chkalovsky, Russia in flight. 8 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot-in-command positioned the rudder at a 25° angle without reducing speed, leading to a steep turn and loss of control. 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.
During a local test flight near Moscow-Chkalovsky Airport, a Tupolev OKB aircraft lost control at low altitude, dove into the ground, and exploded, killing all eight crew members. The probable cause was the pilot-in-command positioning the rudder at 25° without reducing speed.
Accident Overview
On a local test flight conducted for GKAP Tupolev OKB (Tupolev Industries), the aircraft departed from Moscow-Chkalovsky Airport. While operating in the vicinity of the airfield at a relatively low altitude, the airplane went out of control, dove into the ground, and was consumed in a massive explosion.
Crew and Fatalities
The aircraft carried eight crew members. All eight were killed in the accident.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the probable cause was that the pilot-in-command positioned the rudder at a 25-degree angle without reducing speed. This caused the airplane to enter a steep turn and subsequently go out of control.