1979 Dniprodzerzhynsk mid-air collision

(Redirected from 1979 Ukraine Aeroflot mid-air collision) Fatal aviation accident in Ukraine

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1979 Dniprodzerzhynsk mid-air collision
Accident
A Tupolev Tu-134A operated by Aeroflot that was similar to both aircraft involved in the accident
Date	11 August 1979
Summary	Mid-air collision
Site	Near Dniprodzerzhynsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union 48°35′18″N 34°39′22″E / 48.58833°N 34.65611°E / 48.58833; 34.65611
Total fatalities	178
Total survivors	0
First aircraft
Type	Tupolev Tu-134A
Operator	Aeroflot
IATA flight No.	SU7628
ICAO flight No.	AFL7628
Call sign	AEROFLOT 7628
Registration	СССР-65816
Flight origin	Voronezh Airport, Russian SFSR
Destination	Chișinău Airport, Moldavian SSR
Passengers	88
Crew	6
Fatalities	94
Survivors	0
Second aircraft
Type	Tupolev Tu-134AK
Operator	Aeroflot
IATA flight No.	SU7880
ICAO flight No.	AFL7880
Call sign	AEROFLOT 7880
Registration	СССР-65735
Flight origin	Donetsk Airport, Ukrainian SSR
Destination	Minsk-1 International Airport, Belarusian SSR
Passengers	77
Crew	7
Fatalities	84
Survivors	0

On 11 August 1979, a mid-air collision occurred over the Ukrainian SSR, near the city of Dniprodzerzhynsk (now Kamianske). The aircraft involved were both Tupolev Tu-134As on scheduled domestic passenger flights, operated by Aeroflot. All 178 people aboard both aircraft died in the accident.

The official Soviet aviation board investigation of the accident concluded that the crash was caused by "mistakes and violations" made by air traffic controllers.

Aircraft

Aeroflot Flight 7628

Aeroflot Flight 7628 was a twin turbofan Tu-134 passenger jet, serial number 4352210 and registration CCCP-65816, that was built at the Kharkiv Aviation Plant in 1974 and which carried out its first flight on 24 March of that year. It was operated by the airline's Moldova division and, at the time of the accident, had logged 12,739 hours and completed 7683 takeoff-landing cycles.

There were 88 passengers and six crew members on board the Tupolev airliner.

Aeroflot Flight 7880

Aeroflot Flight 7880 was a Tu-134AK airliner, serial number 1351405 and registration CCCP-65735, that was completed at the Kharkiv aviation plant on 5 November 1971 and which made its first flight later that year. First operated as a "K" model with luxury salons and first-class accommodation, it was later converted to a standard 78- passenger configuration. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated 10,753 flight hours through 7075 cycles.

There were 77 passengers and seven crew members on board the aircraft. Passengers included personnel of the Pakhtakor Football Club.

Air traffic control

En route to their destinations both aircraft passed through the Kharkiv regional air traffic control (ATC) center airspace. This area was characterized by high traffic density and air traffic controllers often had to carry more than a dozen aircraft simultaneously. This problem had been discussed since the early 1970s, but by the end of the decade the problem had not been solved. The southwest sector, covering from 180° to 255° was especially complex and unpredictable.

On 11 August 1979, at 07:50 MSK a new shift of air traffic controllers began work, headed by Sergei Sergeev. In the difficult southwest sector he employed an inexperienced 3rd-class controller, 20-year-old Nikolai Zhukovsky, under the supervision of 1st-class controller, 28-year-old Vladimir Alexandrovich Sumy.

Adding to the situation that day was that Leonid Brezhnev was embarking on a trip to Crimea. Authorities wanted to give the Soviet leader a clear flight path and this caused considerable disruption of the airline flight operations in the area.

Accident sequence

At 12:54, Flight 7628 took off from Voronezh airport on the last leg of a domestic scheduled route from Chelyabinsk to Voronezh, then to Kishinev.

At 13:11, Flight 7880 departed Donetsk airport bound for Minsk.

At 13:17:15, Flight 7628 contacted ATC to report it was at flight level (FL) 8,400 metres (27,600 ft) and requested permission to climb to FL 9,600 metres (31,500 ft). Flight 7628 also informed ATC it would reach the Volchansk waypoint at 13:22 and the Krasnohrad waypoint at 13:28, but the controller incorrectly recorded 13:19 to 13:26 respectively, which placed the aircraft ahead of schedule.

At 13:21:43, Flight 7628 re-contacted the ATC center and again requested permission to climb up to 9600 meters, but ATC rejected that request.

At 13:25:48, Flight 7880 bound for Minsk, informed ATC they had departed Donetsk 14 minutes before and were at 5,700 metres (18,700 ft), and that they would reach the Dnipropetrovsk (now the city Dnipro) waypoint at 13:34 and the Kremenchuk waypoint at 13:44. ATC confirmed the location of the aircraft and ordered them to climb to and maintain 7,200 metres (23,600 ft).

At 13:27:50, Flight 7628 contacted ATC and reported that they were over Krasnohrad at FL 8,400 metres (27,600 ft). Flight 7628 then asked controller Zhukovsky for their ground speed and the speed of another Tu-134A identified as 65132, flying at FL 9,600 metres (31,500 ft). Flight 7628 was flying at 830 km/h (450 kn; 520 mph) and aircraft 65132 was at 750 km/h (400 kn; 470 mph). Because of the speed difference ATC refused to let flight 7628 climb to 9600 metres. Flight 7628 confirmed the instructions, although they tried to clarify that they could also slow down after the climb. This was the last radio transmission from Flight 7628.

At 13:30:40, Flight 7880 contacted ATC and reported they were at 7,200 metres (23,600 ft), 25 kilometres (16 mi; 13 nmi) away from the Dnipropetrovsk beacon. The controller confirmed their position and instructed them to climb to 8400 meters. After 3 minutes (13:34:52) Flight 7880 reported at an altitude of 8,400 metres (27,600 ft), at the Dnipropetrovsk beacon. ATC initially incorrectly identified the aircraft on radar and, when they properly identified it ATC realized that it was on a collision course with CCCP-86676 – an Ilyushin Il-62 – at 9000 meters. ATC therefore instructed Flight 7880 to stay at 8400 meters, which was confirmed.

Flight 7628 was flying on Airway 50 (Magdalinovka – Ball, course 201°) and Flight 7880 was on Airway 147 corridor (Dnipropetrovsk – Kremenchuk, course 300°). These corridors intersect at an angle of 99° north-east of Dniprodzerzhynsk. Because of previous errors, the controller's perception of the location of each aircraft was incorrect. When the ATC supervisor heard the radio traffic and saw the aircraft converging on the radar screen he realized the catastrophic situation and attempted to correct it. At 13:34:07 the ATC controller ordered aircraft 86676 (IL-62) from 9,000 to 9,600 metres (29,500 to 31,500 ft). At 13:34:21 ATC controller repeated the order and then directed Flight 7880 from 8400 meters to the now vacant altitude at 9,000 metres (30,000 ft).

13:34:07 ATC to aircraft 86676 "Take 9600."
13:34:21 ATC to aircraft 86676 "Take 9600."
13:34:23 ATC to Flight 7880 "and you take a 9. Over 8400 Dneprodzerzhinsk crossover."
13:34:25 aircraft 86676 to ATC "9600."
13:34:33 (inaudible.) "Got it ... 8400"

The controller heard a muffled reply and assumed it was an acknowledgement from Flight 7880 – but the muffled transmission was actually from aircraft 86676 and Flight 7880 remained at 8400 meters.

Collision

Flight 7628 had strayed to the left of the airway by approximately 4 kilometres (2 mi), while Flight 7880 was to the left by 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi). At 13:35:38 both aircraft suddenly disappeared from ATC radar screens. Zhukovsky tried to contact them, but they did not respond. At 13:37, Igor Chernov, the captain of an Antonov An-2 (CCCP-91734) flying from Cherkasy to Donetsk, reported "Something falls from the sky!". At 13:40 Chernov reported seeing aircraft parts in the area of Dniprodzerzhynsk (current Kamianske).

Both aircraft collided in a cloud at an altitude of 8,400 metres (27,600 ft), approximately over Dniprodzerzhynsk. Flight 7880's right wing sliced through Flight 7628's forward fuselage, tearing off part of 7880's right wing, the debris of which was ingested by 7880's right engine. The impact spun 7628 to the right, causing the tails of both aircraft to collide at which time the left engine of 7628 struck the keel of 7880, and 7628's right wing was torn off. Flight 7628 tumbled out of control and broke up, with debris scattered over an area measuring 16 by 3 kilometres (9.9 by 1.9 mi). Damage to 7880 included the loss of most of the empennage, one of the engines and a section of the right wing. The pilots of 7880 attempted an emergency landing, but at an altitude of approximately 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) they lost control and at 13:38 crashed to the ground north-east of Dniprodzerzhynsk, completely destroying the aircraft.

Investigation

In the subsequent investigation the commission concluded that center of gravity and takeoff weights of both aircraft were within the normal range and that there was no explosion or fire prior to the collision. The commission also found that maintenance was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the regulations and that the level of training of flight crews of both aircraft, as well as their work experience, were not the cause of the crash.

When the commission examined the action of the controllers they discovered a series of errors made by Zhukovsky:

Refused Flight 7628's request to climb from 8,400 m (27,600 ft) to 9,600 m (31,500 ft), stating it was in dangerous proximity to aircraft 65132. The interval was 55 km (34 mi) – close to the minimum, although the safety distance between 65132 and Flight 7628 could have been increased by reducing the ground speed of the latter.
Directed Flight 7880 to climb from 7200 meters to 8400 meters, although the crew did not request this. As a result, there was a conflict situation with Flight 7628.
Did not allow aircraft 86676 to climb to 10,200 m (33,500 ft) This would have increased the safety distance between it and aircraft 65132.
Allowed crews to violate radio rules and argue with the manager about the instructions received. Two minutes and 51 seconds before the collision, Zhukovsky began a 47-second argument with the crew of a Ukrainian Yakovlev Yak-40 identified as aircraft 87327, explaining the need for them to go to another altitude.

The investigators also discovered that the more experienced controller, Vladimir Sumy, was in error during the last minutes before the crash, having received a vague answer without a call sign, he did not confirm if the crew of Flight 7880 understood. Sumy had previously received penalties for violations, including improper communication and phraseology.

The senior controller, Sergei Sergeev, was found to have complicated the air traffic control environment by changing the responsibilities assigned to personnel, including assigning Sumy to supervise Zhukovsky.

Nine months after the disaster, a court sentenced controllers Zhukovsky and Sumy to 15 years imprisonment in a penal colony. Sumy served 6.5 years, then was released for good behavior. As of 2008, he lived in Kharkiv. Zhukovsky reportedly committed suicide. Sergei Sergeev, the chief controller on duty that day, was not prosecuted.

The final conclusion made by the commission was that "he cause of the disaster were the mistakes and violations of the NPP GA-78 made by manager of the southwestern sector and dispatcher instructor regarding destination tier and providing the established intervals between aircraft compliance phraseology".

References

^ "Accidents, incidents and plane crashes in the USSR and Russia". Airdisaster.ru. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
^ "Accident description". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network (ASN). Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
"Tupolev Tu-134AK Trip number: USSR-65735". russianplanes.net. Aviation Safety Network (ASN). Archived from the original on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
^ "Accident description". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network (ASN). Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
^ "Accidents, incidents and plane crashes in the USSR and Russia". airdisaster.ru. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
^ "Remaining in heaven". ua-football.com. 11 August 2014. Archived from the original on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
^ Muromov, Igor (2003). 100 great plane crashes. Veche. p. 528. ISBN 5-9533-0029-8.
^ Appell, James (15 September 2011). "The day Uzbek football died". The Football Ramble.com. The Football Ramble Ltd. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
"Туполев Ту-134А-3" [Tupolev Tu-134A-3]. russianplanes.net (in Russian). Archived from the original on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
"Ilyushin Il-62 Trip number: USSR-86676". russianplanes.net. Archived from the original on 26 April 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
^ "МИСТИЧЕСКИЕ СОВПАДЕНИЯ ПРЕСЛЕДУЮТ РОССИЙСКУЮ АВИАЦИЮ" [MYSTERIOUS COINCIDENCES HAVE RUSSIAN AVIATION]. posadki.net (in Russian). Archived from the original on 14 August 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
"Tupolev Tu-134A Trip number: USSR-65816". russianplanes.net. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2016.

Portals:

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Subsidiaries

Active	Pobeda Rossiya
Inactive	Dobrolet Donavia Orenair SAT Airlines Vladivostok Air
Exited	Aurora Nordavia (now Smartavia)

Fleet

Accidents and
incidents

1940s	G-2 Alma-Ata crash ANT-20bis crash CCCP-Л1450 crash Flight 17
1950s	Il-12 Karaganda crash Il-12 Novosibirsk crash Kemerovo mid-air collision Flight 229 Flight 783 Flight 10 Flight 136 Flight 214 Flight 229 Kiev mid-air collision Flight 11 Flight 10 Flight 105 Flight 04 Flight 365 Flight 164 Il-12 Lazo crash Тu-104 Kanash crash Flight 200 Flight 315
1960s	Flight 315 Flight 207 Flight 036 Flight 068 Flight 245 Flight 902 Flight 415 Flight 03 Flight 213 Flight 191 Flight 25 Flight 012 Flight 366 Flight 663 Flight 721 Flight 101/X-20 Flight 542 Flight 513 Flight 99 Flight 065 Flight 2723 Flight 5003 Flight 2230 Flight L-51 Flight 1668 Flight 15 Flight 831 Flight F-28 Flight N-826
1970s	Flight U-45 Flight 1661 Flight 3630 CCCP-11000 crash CCCP-12996 crash Flight 1969 Flight 1912 Flight 773 Flight N-63 Flight 2174 Flight 1491 Flight 558 Flight 1036 Flight 217 Flight 6263 Flight 141 Flight 630 Flight X-167 Flight 6551 Flight 109 Flight A-13 Flight 3932 Flight 964 Flight 19 Flight 2022 Flight 2420 CCCP-75559 crash Flight 662 Flight E-15 Flight A-53 Flight 2003 Flight 3739 Flight 909 Flight 1802 Flight 418 Flights 7957 and 31 Flight 2415 Flight N-36 Flight 3843 Flight 5003 Flight 331 Flight B-2 Flight 6709 Flight 1080 Flight 6515 Flight 1691 Flights 7628 and 7880 Flight 5484
1980s	Flight 4225 Flight 498 Flight 811 Flight 3603 Flight 8641 Flight 411 Flight 343 Flight 5463 Flight 601 Flight 3352 Flight F-637 Flight 3519 Flight 7841 Zolochiv mid-air collision Flight 5143 Flight 101/435 Flight F-77 Flight 2306 Flight 6502 Flight 892 Flight U-505 Flight N-528 Flight 699 Flight 3739
since 1990s	Flight E-35D CCCP-46472 crash Flight 2808 Flight 593 Flight 521 Flight 821 Flight 1492

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in 1979 (1979)
Jan 30 Varig Flight 967Feb 12 Air Rhodesia Flight 827Feb 17 Air New Zealand Flight 4374Mar 14 Alia Flight 600Mar 17 Aeroflot Flight 1691Mar 26 Interflug Ilyushin Il-18 crashMar 29 Quebecair Flight 255Apr 4 TWA Flight 841Apr 23 SAETA Flight 011May 25 American Airlines Flight 191May 30 Downeast Airlines Flight 46Jun 17 Air New England Flight 248Jun 20 American Airlines Flight 293Jul 11 Garuda Fokker F28 crashJul 26 Lufthansa Cargo Flight 527Jul 31 Dan-Air Flight 0034Aug 11 Dniprodzerzhynsk mid-air collisionAug 29 Aeroflot Flight 5484Sep 14 Aero Trasporti Italiani Flight 12Oct 7 Swissair Flight 316Oct 31 Western Airlines Flight 2605Nov 11 Manises UFO incidentNov 15 American Airlines Flight 444Nov 26 Pakistan International Airlines Flight 740Nov 28 Air New Zealand Flight 901Dec 18 Mosfellsheiði air crashesDec 23 Turkish Airlines Ankara crash
1978 ◄ ► 1980

Aviation accidents and incidents in 1979 (1979)

Jan 30 Varig Flight 967Feb 12 Air Rhodesia Flight 827Feb 17 Air New Zealand Flight 4374Mar 14 Alia Flight 600Mar 17 Aeroflot Flight 1691Mar 26 Interflug Ilyushin Il-18 crashMar 29 Quebecair Flight 255Apr 4 TWA Flight 841Apr 23 SAETA Flight 011May 25 American Airlines Flight 191May 30 Downeast Airlines Flight 46Jun 17 Air New England Flight 248Jun 20 American Airlines Flight 293Jul 11 Garuda Fokker F28 crashJul 26 Lufthansa Cargo Flight 527Jul 31 Dan-Air Flight 0034Aug 11 Dniprodzerzhynsk mid-air collisionAug 29 Aeroflot Flight 5484Sep 14 Aero Trasporti Italiani Flight 12Oct 7 Swissair Flight 316Oct 31 Western Airlines Flight 2605Nov 11 Manises UFO incidentNov 15 American Airlines Flight 444Nov 26 Pakistan International Airlines Flight 740Nov 28 Air New Zealand Flight 901Dec 18 Mosfellsheiði air crashesDec 23 Turkish Airlines Ankara crash

1978 ◄ ► 1980

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in the Soviet Union in the 1970s
1970	Batagay Aeroflot An-24 crash (28 January 1970) Aeroflot Flight 145 (29 January 1970) Aeroflot Flight U-45 (February 1970) Aeroflot Flight 1661 (April 1970) Dymshits–Kuznetsov hijacking affair (June 1970) Aeroflot Flight 3630 (September 1970) Aeroflot Flight 244 (October 1970)
1971	Surgut Aeroflot An-12 crash (22 January 1971) Surgut Aeroflot An-12 crash (31 January 1971) Aeroflot Flight 1969 (March 1971) Aeroflot Flight 1912 (July 1971) Malév Flight 110 (September 1971) Aeroflot Flight 773 (October 1971) Aeroflot Flight N-63 (November 1971) Aeroflot Flight 2174 (December 1971)
1972	Aeroflot Flight B-608 (4 May 1972) Svetlogorsk An-24 crash (16 May 1972) Aeroflot Flight 1491 (18 May 1972) Aeroflot Flight 558 (August 1972) Aeroflot Flight 1036 (1 October 1972) Aeroflot Flight 217 (13 October 1972) Japan Air Lines Flight 446 (November 1972)
1973	Aeroflot Flight 6263 (January 1973) Aeroflot Flight 630 (24 February 1973) Aeroflot Flight X-167 (28 February 1973) Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 307 (March 1973) Aeroflot Flight 2420 (April 1973) Aeroflot Flight 6551 (11 May 1973) Aeroflot Flight 109 (18 May 1973) Aeroflot Flight A-13 (August 1973) Aeroflot Flight 3932 (September 1973) Aeroflot Flight 964 (October 1973) Aeroflot Flight 19 (November 1973) Aeroflot Flight 2022 (December 1973)
1974	Aeroflot Flight H-75 (January 1974) Leningrad Aeroflot Il-18 crash (April 1974)
1975	Aeroflot Flight E-15 (July 1975) Aeroflot Flight 6274 (November 1975)
1976	Aeroflot Flight 2003 (January 1976) Aeroflot Flight 3739 (February 1976) Aeroflot Flight 909 (March 1976) Aeroflot Flight 1802 (May 1976) Anapa mid-air collision (September 1976) Aeroflot Flight 2415 (November 1976) Aeroflot Flight N-36 (December 1976)
1977	Aeroflot Flight 3843 (January 1977) Aeroflot Flight 5003 (February 1977) Tavda mid-air collision (May 1977) Aeroflot Tu-134 hijacking (10 July 1977) Aeroflot Flight B-2 (20 July 1977)
1978	Korean Air Lines Flight 902 (April 1978) Aeroflot Flight 6709 (19 May 1978) Yegoryevsk Tu-144 crash (23 May 1978) Iranian Chinook shootdown (June 1978) Aeroflot Flight 1080 (7 October 1978) Aeroflot Flight 6515 (23 October 1978)
1979	Aeroflot Flight 1691 (March 1979) Dniprodzerzhynsk mid-air collision (11 August 1979) Aeroflot Flight 5484 (29 August 1979)
1960–1969 ◄ 1970–1979 ► 1980–1991

Aviation accidents and incidents in Ukraine

Ukrainian SSR
(1919–1991)

1950s	Kiev mid-air collision (August 1957) Aeroflot Flight 315 (November 1959)
1960s	Aeroflot Flight 315 (February 1960) Aeroflot Flight 036 (August 1960) Aeroflot Flight N-826 (August 1969)
1970s	Aeroflot Flight 3630 (September 1970) Aeroflot Flight 1969 (March 1971) Malév Flight 110 (September 1971) Aeroflot Flight N-63 (November 1971) Aeroflot Flight 1491 (May 1972) Aeroflot Flight 1802 (May 1976) Aeroflot Flight N-36 (December 1976) Dniprodzerzhynsk mid-air collision (August 1979)
1980s	Zolochiv mid-air collision (May 1985) Aeroflot Flight N-528 (June 1987)

Ukraine
(1991–)

1990s	Borodianka mid-air collision (February 1995)
2000s	Siberia Airlines Flight 1812 (October 2001) Sknyliv air show disaster (July 2002) Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise Flight 612 (August 2006)
2010s	South Airlines Flight 8971 (February 2013) Ukrainian Air Force Il-76 shootdown (June 2014) Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (July 2014) Ukraine Air Alliance Flight 4050 (October 2019)
2020s	Chuhuiv An-26 crash (September 2020) Brovary helicopter crash (January 2023)

This includes accidents in the Ukrainian SSR and post-independence Ukraine

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