Status:	Final
Date:	18 MAR 1997
Time:	10:03
Type:	Antonov 24RV
Operator:	Stavropolskaya Aktsionernaya Avia
Registration:	RA-46516
C/n / msn:	37308502
First flight:	1973
Total airframe hrs:	41181
Cycles:	27628
Engines:	2 Ivchenko AI-24VT
Crew:	Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Passengers:	Fatalities: 44 / Occupants: 44
Total:	Fatalities: 50 / Occupants: 50
Airplane damage:	Written off
Airplane fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	Cherkessk (Russia)
Phase:	En route (ENR)
Nature:	Int'l Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	Stavropol Airport (STW/URMT), Russia
Destination airport:	Trabzon Airport (TZX/LTCG), Turkey
Flightnumber:	1023

Narrative:
The Stavropol aircraft took off from Stavropol Airport for a flight to Trabzon. 37 Minutes after take-off, while cruising at FL197, the Antonov lost altitude and crashed into a forest. Wreckage was scattered across a 2 mile area. The tail section was found a mile away from the main wreckage. It appeared that massive corrosion of the fuselage (30th to 34th bulkhead) had caused the tail section to separate. The aircraft had been operated in humid weather conditions of Congo for some time.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident was caused by a combination of the following factors: the superficial mechanical inspection of the aircraft which was carried out without the use of monitoring instruments, and the subsequent unjustified decision to extend the time between overhauls and the service life; violation of requirements in force by extending the overhaul life of the aircraft without taking maintenance as regards determination of the degree of corrosion and corrosion fatigue in hard-to-reach areas of the aircraft; inadequate monitoring in operation to determine the state of structural elements and detect the presence of corrosion in hard-to-reach areas under the floor of the fuselage; failure to carry out prescribed anti-corrosion measures on the aircraft structure during overhaul at the maintenance center and in operation."

Events:

Sources:
» ICAO Adrep Summary 5/98 (#21)
» MAK Accident Report