
Narrative:
A Tupolev 154B-2 passenger jet, registered RA-85588, was damaged beyond repair in an accident at Surgut Airport (SGC), Russia. There were 126 passengers and eight crew members on board. The airplane operated on a flight KGL348 from Surgut Airport (SGC) to Moskva-Domodedovo Airport (DME).
Three passengers died and about 32 were seriously injured. The airplane was destroyed by fire.
Initial reports indicate that the airplane had been towed to the main taxiway for engine startup. A short circuit occurred while the AC generators were connected to the aircraft's electrical system after start-up of the engines. A fire erupted in the rear, spreading quickly through the main cabin. The crew shut down the engines and initiated an evacuation.
The Interstate Aviation Committee reported that engines no. 1, 2 and 3 and the APU were not the source of the fire. The fire started in the rear of the aircraft in the area of frames 62-65.
The cause of the fire was an electrical arc produced by electrical currents exceeding ten to twenty times the nominal loads when two generators not synchronised with each other were brought online but got connected together instead of being connected to parallel busses.
The unsynchronised operation of the generators can be attributed to:
- Poor technical conditions of contacts TKS233DOD responsible for connecting the generators with the electrical busses, that were damaged by prolonged operation without maintenance. A contact normally open was welded and fractured insulation material moved between contacts that are normally closed. These abnormal contact positions led to the connection between #2 and #3 generators.
- Differences in the schematic diagrams of generator 2 and generators 1 and 3. When the switch is moved from "check" to "enable" with no delay in the "neutral" position generator 2 is brought online without time delay which leads to increased wear of normally closed contacts in the TKS233DOD unit.
- The specific design of the electrical systems to ensure power supply to each bus from either the APU or either engine integrated drive generator.
Damaged on the ground
» MAK Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC)
» Russian Ministry of Health statement
» Russian Ministry of Transport statement
accident date: 01-01-2011
type: Tupolev Tu-154B-2
registration: RA-85588
accident date: 01-01-2011
type: Tupolev Tu-154B-2
registration: RA-85588
accident date: 01-01-2011
type: Tupolev Tu-154B-2
registration: RA-85588
» source: Soviet Transports
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Saturday 1 January 2011 |
| Time: | 15:00 |
| Type: |  Tupolev Tu-154B-2 |
| Operator: | Kolavia |
| Registration: | RA-85588 |
| MSN: | 83A588 |
| First flight: | 1983 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 32354 |
| Cycles: | 13147 |
| Engines: | 3 Kuznetsov NK-8-2U |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 126 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 134 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Surgut Airport (SGC) ( Russia)
|
| Crash site elevation: | 61 m (200 feet) amsl |
| Phase: | Standing (STD) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Surgut Airport (SGC/USRR), Russia |
| Moskva-Domodedovo Airport (DME/UUDD), Russia | |
| Flightnumber: | 348 |
A Tupolev 154B-2 passenger jet, registered RA-85588, was damaged beyond repair in an accident at Surgut Airport (SGC), Russia. There were 126 passengers and eight crew members on board. The airplane operated on a flight KGL348 from Surgut Airport (SGC) to Moskva-Domodedovo Airport (DME).
Three passengers died and about 32 were seriously injured. The airplane was destroyed by fire.
Initial reports indicate that the airplane had been towed to the main taxiway for engine startup. A short circuit occurred while the AC generators were connected to the aircraft's electrical system after start-up of the engines. A fire erupted in the rear, spreading quickly through the main cabin. The crew shut down the engines and initiated an evacuation.
The Interstate Aviation Committee reported that engines no. 1, 2 and 3 and the APU were not the source of the fire. The fire started in the rear of the aircraft in the area of frames 62-65.
Probable Cause:
The cause of the fire was an electrical arc produced by electrical currents exceeding ten to twenty times the nominal loads when two generators not synchronised with each other were brought online but got connected together instead of being connected to parallel busses.
The unsynchronised operation of the generators can be attributed to:
- Poor technical conditions of contacts TKS233DOD responsible for connecting the generators with the electrical busses, that were damaged by prolonged operation without maintenance. A contact normally open was welded and fractured insulation material moved between contacts that are normally closed. These abnormal contact positions led to the connection between #2 and #3 generators.
- Differences in the schematic diagrams of generator 2 and generators 1 and 3. When the switch is moved from "check" to "enable" with no delay in the "neutral" position generator 2 is brought online without time delay which leads to increased wear of normally closed contacts in the TKS233DOD unit.
- The specific design of the electrical systems to ensure power supply to each bus from either the APU or either engine integrated drive generator.
Accident investigation:

 |
|
Classification:
Damaged on the ground
Sources:
» At least one dead, three missing in plane explosion in Siberia (Update 3) (RIA)» MAK Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC)
» Russian Ministry of Health statement
» Russian Ministry of Transport statement
Photos
accident date: 01-01-2011
type: Tupolev Tu-154B-2
registration: RA-85588
accident date: 01-01-2011
type: Tupolev Tu-154B-2
registration: RA-85588
accident date: 01-01-2011
type: Tupolev Tu-154B-2
registration: RA-85588
Aircraft history
| date | registration | operator | remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 NOV 1983 | CCCP-85588 | Aeroflot / Magadan | registered |
| JUN 1993 | RA-85588 | Aeroflot | new registration |
| OCT 1994 | RA-85588 | Magadan Avia | |
| AUG 1999 | RA-85588 | Vladivostok Air | |
| APR 2007 | RA-85588 | Kogalymavia |
» source: Soviet Transports
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 Surgut Airport to Moskva-Domodedovo Airport as the crow flies is 2125 km (1328 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Surgut Airport to Moskva-Domodedovo Airport as the crow flies is 2125 km (1328 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few 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.
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