No fatalities

2009-03-26: Tupolev TU-134 (RA-65981) — Russian Air Force - Voyenno-vozdushnye sily Rossii — Dolinsk-Sokol AFB, Russia

Dolinsk-Sokol AFB, RussiaTakeoff (climb)

On March 26, 2009, a Tupolev TU-134 (registration RA-65981) operated by Russian Air Force - Voyenno-vozdushnye sily Rossii was involved in an aviation accident near Dolinsk-Sokol AFB, Russia during takeoff. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The runway surface was inadequately cleared of snow prior to the aircraft's departure. 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.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781196813Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft operated by the Far East Command veered off the runway and struck a snow mound during a takeoff roll in heavy snow.

What happened

During a takeoff roll at dusk, an aircraft assigned to the Far East Command experienced a loss of directional control amidst heavy snowfall. As the aircraft accelerated down the runway, it drifted toward the left side of the pavement and collided with a snow mound measuring approximately 1.2 meters in height.

The impact caused significant structural damage to the landing gear assembly. The nose gear was completely detached from the airframe, and both main landing gears collapsed following the collision. Despite the severity of the impact, all occupants on board managed to exit the aircraft without sustaining any injuries. The incident resulted in zero fatalities and zero injuries, though the aircraft type/model (unspecified) was declared a total loss due to damage exceeding repair capabilities.

Findings

Investigations into the accident determined that the primary contributing factor was that the runway had not been sufficiently cleared of snow before the takeoff attempt was initiated.

Probable cause

The runway surface was inadequately cleared of snow prior to the aircraft's departure.