Status:
Date:	03 JAN 1994
Time:	12:08
Type:	Tupolev 154M
Operator:	Baikal Airlines
Registration:	RA-85656
C/n / msn:	89A-801
First flight:	1989
Engines:	3 Soloviev D-30KU-154-II
Crew:	Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9
Passengers:	Fatalities: 115 / Occupants: 115
Total:	Fatalities: 124 / Occupants: 124
Ground casualties:	Fatalities: 1
Airplane damage:	Destroyed
Airplane fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	near Mamony (Russia)
Phase:	En route (ENR)
Nature:	Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	Irkutsk Airport (IKT/UIII), Russia
Destination airport:	Moskva-Domodedovo Airport (DME/UUDD), Russia
Flightnumber:	130

Narrative:
It took the crew 17 minutes to get all 3 engines to run. During the start-up of the centre no. 2 engine a spontaneous rotation of the engine's turbo compressor was noted twice. When all engines were started the "dangerous rotation of starter" warning light illuminated. The light wouldn't go out by using the starter turn off button. The operations manual didn't describe the actions to be taken in this situation and the crew thought the warning was false, thinking the starter could only spin during engine start-up. All engine parameters seemed normal and the aircraft departed for Moscow. While climbing through 4000m no. 2 engine problems forced the crew to return to Irkutsk. A fuel-fed fire had erupted in the area of the no. 2 engine, causing damage to hydraulic lines and control surfaces. Control was lost and the aircraft crashed amongst farm buildings.

PROBABLE CAUSE: Break-up of the no.2 engine starter, damaging fuel and oil lines. The crew shouldn't have departed in the first place, but underestimated the severity of the situation "due to shortcomings in the operational documentation and the instructions used for the training of flight and technical personnel, as well as the unsatisfactory information provided in the cockpit by the starter's status monitoring system."

Events:

Sources:
» Flight International 12-18.1.94(9)
» Air Safety Week 10.1.1994
» Aviation Week & Space Technology 11.07.94(37-38)
» Fligh Safety Digest / Flight Safety Foundation, March 1995(21)
» Flight International 26.1 - 1.2.94(8)
» ICAO Adrep Summary 1/94 (#120)
» Soviet Transports