Aircraft breakup following runway excursion at Bratsk Airport

No fatalities • Bratsk, Russia • Landing (descent or approach)

A scheduled flight from Moscow to Bratsk experienced a runway excursion during landing in heavy rain, resulting in the aircraft breaking into two pieces.

What happened

A scheduled service flight traveling from Moscow-Vnukovo Airport toward Bratsk, with a planned stop in Omsk, experienced an incident during its arrival at Bratsk Airport. Upon approaching the destination, the crew encountered visibility restrictions caused by intense rainfall.

Immediately following touchdown, the crew engaged the thrust reversers on all three engines of the aircraft type. During the deceleration process, the plane traveled approximately 800 meters before beginning to drift toward the left side of the runway. Despite efforts by the pilot-in-command to correct the directional deviation, the aircraft continued to travel for an additional 526 meters before exiting the paved surface. The plane moved several dozen meters across soft terrain before coming to a complete stop, at which point the fuselage split into two sections. There were zero fatalities and zero injuries among all occupants.

Findings

Investigations determined that the accident was driven by the loss of rudder effectiveness when operating at maximum reverse thrust. The specific design characteristics of the aircraft rendered it uncontrollable on the wet runway surface under these power settings.

Probable cause

The loss of rudder control during maximum engine reverse thrust due to inherent aircraft design features caused the plane to veer off the wet runway.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1981-06-13 Tupolev TU-154 accident near Bratsk, Russia?

A scheduled flight from Moscow to Bratsk experienced a runway excursion during landing in heavy rain, resulting in the aircraft breaking into two pieces.

Were there any fatalities in the 1981-06-13 Tupolev TU-154 accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1981-06-13 involved a Tupolev TU-154, registration CCCP-85029, operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines, at Bratsk, Russia.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The loss of rudder control during maximum engine reverse thrust due to inherent aircraft design features caused the plane to veer off the wet runway.

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