Narrative:A Douglas C-47-DL transport plane was damaged beyond repair in a forced landing in the Taymyr Peninsula in Russia.
The aircraft operated on a flight from Kosisty to Krasnoyarsk with en route stops at Khatanga, Dudinka and Turukhansk. On board were five crew members, 26 adult passengers, 3 children and 852 kg of cargo.
A few minutes after takeoff the crew noticed a rising oil temperature of the left engine, accompanied by an oil pressure drop. After 38 minutes of flight, the left engine oil pressure dropped to zero, and the oil temperature increased to the limit. The crew shut down the engine and feathered the propeller. Since the remaining no.1 engine did not drive the generator, the battery soon died, disabling radio communications.
Due to bad weather at the departure airport, return was impossible. The crew continued flying blind with a course of 280° in the direction of Khatanga. Unable to find the airport, the crew decided to continue to Volochanka Airport. After 5 hours of flight the aircraft entered an area of icing. The pilot changed course and after 15 minutes with a course of 180° left the area for good weather. The oil pressure on the no.1 engine dropped and the oil temperature increased. The captain then made a forced landing on the snow covered tundra. The crew and passengers suffered minor injuries.
Nine occupants died while searching for help in the snowy tundra. The remaining 28 occupants were rescued after twenty days.
Classification:
Forced landing outside airport
Sources:
»
Russian C-47 'Dakota' found in Siberia»
airdisaster.ru
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Kosisty Airport to Khatanga Airport as the crow flies is 300 km (188 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.