Incident Overview

Date: Monday 6 December 1971
Aircraft Type: Antonov An-12
Owner/operator: Soviet Air Force
Location: near Melitopol – ÿ Ukraine
Phase of Flight: Unknown
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: / Occupants:
Component Affected: Aircraft control system (specifically the speed and attitude control systems).Aircraft control system (specifically the speed and attitude control systems).
Category: Accident
A formation flight experienced reduced speed due to a pilot misjudging a leading aircraft, leading to a wake vortex entry and subsequent loss of control and crash.A formation flight experienced reduced speed due to a pilot misjudging a leading aircraft, leading to a wake vortex entry and subsequent loss of control and crash.

Description

During a formation flight in restricted visibility the pilot, thinking that he passed the leading aircraft, decreased the flying speed to 300 km/h. Simultaneously his plane entered a wake vortex from the leading An-12. The plane lost control and crashed.

Primary Cause

Pilot error and misjudgment of aircraft position during a formation flight.Pilot error and misjudgment of aircraft position during a formation flight.

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