1989 Soviet Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 crash
On 18 October 1989, a Soviet Air Force Ilyushin Il 76 carrying paratroopers of the 98th Guards Airborne Division crashed into the Caspian Sea, killing all 57 people on board. It is the deadliest aviation accident to occur in Azerbaijan.[1]
 An Ilyushin Il-76 similar to the aircraft involved | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 18, 1989 |
| Summary | Engine fire leading to structural failure |
| Site | Caspian Sea, near Sumgait, Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Ilyushin Il-76 |
| Operator | Soviet Air Forces |
| Registration | CCCP-76569 |
| Flight origin | Nasosnaya Air Base, Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic |
| Destination | Zhovtneve Air Base, Bolhrad, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic |
| Passengers | 50 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 57 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Accident
The aircraft was carrying paratroopers home from a mission during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict back to Ukraine. The aircraft was also carrying military property including the GAZ-66. Five minutes after takeoff the no 1 engine caught fire and separated from the aircraft, striking the fuel tank in the process, resulting in an in-flight fire. the crew attempted to return to Nasonaya Air Base, but the fire caused the left wing to separate. The aircraft crashed into the Caspian Sea off of Sumgait.[2]
Investigation
The cause of the accident was an engine design flaw. The inter-shaft bearing had failed, leading to the low-pressure turbine shaft fracturing from heat.
Legacy
- The occupants were posthumously awarded the order "For Personal Courage".[3]
- Monuments were built in Bolhrad, Ivanovo, Hvardiiske Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and in Аrtsyz, Odesa Oblast.
- The Blue Berets wrote a song called dedicated to the crew.[4]
References
- Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Ilyushin Il-76MD CCCP-76569 Sumqayit". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- "Катастрофа Ил-76МД над Каспийским морем в районе аэр. Насосная" [Il-76MD crash over the Caspian Sea in the air area. pump house] (in Russian). airdisaster.ru. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
- Smirnov, Evgeny (2005-10-18). "За личное мужество" [For personal courage] (in Russian). Republic of Bashkortostan, No. 201. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
- "Неизвестные вандалы в г. Болграде Одесской области осквернили памятник погибшим воинам-десантникам" [Unknown vandals in the city of Bolgrad, Odesa region, desecrated the monument to the fallen paratroopers]. otechestvo.org.ua (in Russian). 2009-10-16. Archived from the original on 2009-10-16. Retrieved 2022-06-22.