What happened
On the final leg of a flight from Chelyabinsk to Kishinev, an Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-134 departed Voronezh Airport at 12:54 local time. The aircraft was transporting 88 passengers and six crew members. By 13:17 local time, the plane reached an altitude of 8,400 meters within the Kharkiv ARTCC airspace. Although the flight crew made multiple requests to ascend to 9,600 meters, air traffic control denied these requests because of high traffic density.
Shortly after, a second Tupolev Tu-134AK, registered CCCP-65735, entered the same airspace at an altitude of 5,700 meters. This aircraft was operating flight SU7880 from Tashkent to Minsk via Donetsk, carrying 77 passengers and seven crew members, including the full staff of the Pakhtakor Tashkent football club. After receiving clearance to climb to 7,200 meters and subsequently 8,400 meters, the aircraft continued its ascent.
At an altitude of 8,400 meters, the two planes intersected at a 95-degree angle. The right wing of CCCP-65735 impacted the cockpit of the first aircraft. Both planes entered a spiral descent and broke apart mid-air before crashing in fields near the villages of Kurilovka, Nikolaevka, and Elizavetovka, approximately 35 km northwest of Dnipropetrovsk. The accident resulted in 178 fatalities, with no survivors from either flight.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the collision was caused by multiple errors made by the air traffic controller and their instructor within the Kharkiv Southwest Sector. Specific contributing factors included:
- Failure to follow established operational procedures
- Negligence and inadequate assistance regarding altitude assignments
- Non-compliance with active aviation regulations
- Improper use of standard radio phraseology
- Ineffective coordination between personnel
- High traffic volume and high-stress conditions