Incident Overview

Date: Wednesday 10 July 1985
Aircraft Type: Tupolev Tu-154B-2
Owner/operator: Aeroflot / Uzbekistan
Registration Number: CCCP-85311
Location: near Uchkuduk – ÿ Uzbekistan
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 200 / Occupants: 200
Component Affected: Aircraft structure (specifically the wing and fuselage)Aircraft structure (specifically the wing and fuselage)
Category: Accident
A Aeroflot Tu-154 flight from Karshi (KSQ) to Leningrad (LED) experienced a catastrophic accident during cruise flight. The aircraft stalled due to low airspeed and a high angle of attack, leading to a flat spin. The crew?s deviation from flight manual procedures and loss of control contributed to the incident.A Aeroflot Tu-154 flight from Karshi (KSQ) to Leningrad (LED) experienced a catastrophic accident during cruise flight. The aircraft stalled due to low airspeed and a high angle of attack, leading to a flat spin. The crew?s deviation from flight manual procedures and loss of control contributed to the incident.

Description

Aeroflot flight 5143, a Tupolev Tu-154, departed Karshi (KSQ) on a flight to Leningrad (LED) via Ufa (UFA). The flight climbed to the cruising altitude of 11.600 m and maintained an airspeed of 400 km/h, which was close to stall speed under the given conditions. During cruise flight vibrations started because of the low airspeed. The crew assumed that the vibrations were caused by engine surges. They reduced power to flight idle, causing the airspeed to drop to 290 km/h. Trying to maintain altitude, the angle of attack increased until the airplane eventually stalled. The Tu-154 went into a flat spin and crashed. Cause (translated from Russian): The cause of the accident was the aircraft entering a flat spin during the flight at a jet stream altitude with a high aircraft weight, influenced by high non-standard outside air temperature, low margin of angle of attack, and engine thrust. In these flight conditions and rapidly developing catastrophic situation, the crew deviated from the requirements of the flight manual, lost speed, and failed to maintain control of the aircraft.

Source of Information

http://airdisaster.ru/database.php?id=71, https://www.airhistory.net/info/soviet.phphttp://airdisaster.ru/database.php?id=71, https://www.airhistory.net/info/soviet.php

Primary Cause

High aircraft weight, jet stream altitude, low angle of attack, and engine thrust conditions created a rapidly developing catastrophic situation, leading to a flat spin.High aircraft weight, jet stream altitude, low angle of attack, and engine thrust conditions created a rapidly developing catastrophic situation, leading to a flat spin.

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