Tupolev Tu-134A – YU-AHZ

Incident Overview

Date: Sunday 23 May 1971

Aircraft Type: Tupolev Tu-134A

Owner/operator: Aviogenex

Registration Number: YU-AHZ

Location: Rijeka Airport (RJK) – ÿ Croatia

Phase of Flight: Landing

Status: Destroyed, written off

Casualties: Fatalities: 78 / Occupants: 83

Component Affected: Main landing gearMain landing gear

Investigating Agency: DGAC YugoslaviaDGAC Yugoslavia

Category: Accident

On May 23rd, 1971, a Tupolev Tu-134A aircraft, registration YU-AHZ, crashed following a heavy landing at Rijeka Airport (RJK) in Croatia. Five passengers survived the crash, and the aircraft was carrying 83 occupants. The aircraft approached the airport in poor weather conditions with heavy cumulo-nimbus, heavy rainfall, and severe turbulence. As it passed through the area, it was carried upwards and rolled to the right, approaching the ILS glide path. The aircraft then struck the runway with the right main gear at an airspeed of 260 km/h with 4g deceleration force. The right wing detached and the plane rolled on its back. The remaining stub of the wing folded to block the overwing emergency exit. The aircraft slid for 700 m and caught fire. The probable cause was a heavy landing on the right leg of the main landing gear, emphasizing an irregular position of the wheels and a 0.7% slope up of the runway at touchdown. The Commission concluded that the crew’s deviation from the flight technique, combined with the loading conditions, contributed significantly to the crash, though inadequate controls could only be explained by false perceptions of the crew’s position relative to the runway.On May 23rd, 1971, a Tupolev Tu-134A aircraft, registration YU-AHZ, crashed following a heavy landing at Rijeka Airport (RJK) in Croatia. Five passengers survived the crash, and the aircraft was carrying 83 occupants. The aircraft approached the airport in poor weather conditions with heavy cumulo-nimbus, heavy rainfall, and severe turbulence. As it passed through the area, it was carried upwards and rolled to the right, approaching the ILS glide path. The aircraft then struck the runway with the right main gear at an airspeed of 260 km/h with 4g deceleration force. The right wing detached and the plane rolled on its back. The remaining stub of the wing folded to block the overwing emergency exit. The aircraft slid for 700 m and caught fire. The probable cause was a heavy landing on the right leg of the main landing gear, emphasizing an irregular position of the wheels and a 0.7% slope up of the runway at touchdown. The Commission concluded that the crew’s deviation from the flight technique, combined with the loading conditions, contributed significantly to the crash, though inadequate controls could only be explained by false perceptions of the crew’s position relative to the runway.

Description

Aviogenex flight 130, a Tupolev Tu-134, crashed following a heavy landing at Rijeka Airport (RJK), Croatia. Just five of the 83 occupants survived the crash. The aircraft, operating on a charter flight from London-Gatwick Airport (LGW), approached Rijeka in poor weather with heavy cumulo-nimbus, heavy rainfall and severe turbulence about 4 km from the runway threshold. As the aircraft passed through the area, it was carried upwards and rolled to the right. The aircraft was now above the ILS glide path. Some 800 m short of the runway, at a height of 60 m the crew decided to continue the approach. Power was reduced and the angle of descent increased to 10 degrees. The aircraft struck the runway with the right main gear at an airspeed of 260 km/h with 4g deceleration force. The right wing detached and the plane rolled on its back. The remaining stub of wing folded to block the overwing emergency exit. The aircraft slid for 700 m and caught fire. PROBABLE CAUSE: It is considered that the probable main cause of the accident of the TU-134A aircraft, registration marks YU-AHZ, which occured on the 23rd May, 1971, at “Rijeka” airport was a heavy landing on the right leg of the main landing gear, emphasised by an irregular position of the wheels and 0.7% slope up of the runway at the point of touchdown. The Commission consider that the described deviation from the flight tehnique in itself, did not cause the crash of the aircraft, but that loading which resulted from the conditions under which the landing was performed made a greater contribution to the crash. However, non-adequate handling of controls of the aircraft and engines could be explained only by false perceptions (illusions) of the crew concerning the aircraft position in respect to the runway. The last minute of the flight was analysed on the basis of: – flight recorder oscillogram – results obtained during the investigation on the flight on board of the same type of aircraft. – study of aerodynamic characteristics and stability of TU-134A – analysis of meteorological situation – analysis of crew members’ statement According to the opinion of the Commission this was an exceptional and complex case of many unfavourable circumstances which resulted in this catastrophy.

Source of Information

https://www.airhistory.net/info/soviet.phphttps://www.airhistory.net/info/soviet.php

Primary Cause

Heavy landing on the right leg of the main landing gear, emphasizing an irregular position of the wheels and a 0.7% slope up of the runway at touchdown.Heavy landing on the right leg of the main landing gear, emphasizing an irregular position of the wheels and a 0.7% slope up of the runway at touchdown.

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