On August 2, 1988, a Yakovlev Yak-40 (registration LZ-DOK) operated by Hemus Air - Bulgarian Aviation Company was involved in an aviation accident near Sofia-Vrazhdebna, Bulgaria during takeoff. 29 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The crew failed to follow the pre-takeoff checklist and forgot to set the trim correctly, resulting in the stabilizer being incorrectly set in the down position, which prevented rotation and caused the aircraft to overrun the runway. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
During takeoff on runway 09 at Sofia-Vrazhdebna Airport, a three-engine Tupolev Tu-154 failed to rotate and overran, crashing in a ditch and bursting into flames. Eight occupants were seriously injured; 29 were killed. The aircraft was destroyed.
Accident Details
On the takeoff roll on runway 09 at Sofia-Vrazhdebna Airport, the three-engine Tupolev Tu-154, operated as the presidential aircraft of the Republic of Bulgaria with President Todor Zhivkov on board, was unable to rotate and failed to become airborne. The aircraft overran the runway, crashed into a ditch, and burst into flames. Eight occupants sustained serious injuries, while 29 others were killed. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the probable cause was as follows: The Sofia Airport was to be momentarily closed to traffic due to the scheduled departure of the presidential Tupolev Tu-154 carrying the Bulgarian President. To avoid large delays, air traffic control cleared the crew for takeoff and asked them to expedite. In the resulting confusion and rush, the crew failed to follow the pre-takeoff checklist and forgot to set the trim correctly. Because the stabilizer was incorrectly set in the down position, the aircraft was unable to rotate during the takeoff roll, leading to the overrun and crash.