5 fatalities

Five Killed in Training Flight Crash near Zaporozhie (CCCP-87638)

Zaporozhye, UkraineFlight

On December 16, 1976, a Yakovlev Yak-40 (registration CCCP-87638) operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Zaporozhye, Ukraine in flight. 5 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Loss of control due to insufficient speed while the crew was practicing stabilizer trim change. The aircraft stalled due to poor piloting techniques and a probable wrong interpretation of the indicator airspeed value. 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 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

A training flight from Zaporozhie Airport crashed northwest of the airport, killing all five occupants. The aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent in marginal weather and struck the ground nose-down with left bank.

Incident Overview

A training flight departed Zaporozhie Airport at 1257 local time. About 11 minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 2,100 meters in marginal weather conditions, the crew informed air traffic control that the aircraft was losing height. The airplane then entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a field located 20 kilometers northwest of Zaporozhie Airport and 1,400 meters from the Novogupalovka Station. The impact attitude was 25–30 degrees nose down with a 6-degree left bank. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact, and all five occupants were killed.

Probable Cause

The official investigation determined the probable cause to be loss of control due to insufficient speed while the crew was practicing stabilizer trim change. The aircraft stalled due to poor piloting techniques and a probable wrong interpretation of the indicator airspeed value.