Accident Antonov An-124-100 08 Black, Saturday 6 December 1997

Date:	Saturday 6 December 1997
Time:	14:42
Type:	Antonov An-124-100
Owner/operator:	Russian Air Force
Registration:	08 Black
MSN:	4516003
Year of manufacture:	1986
Total airframe hrs:	1034 hours
Cycles:	576 flights
Engine model:	Lotarev D-18T
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 23 / Occupants: 23
Other fatalities:	45
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	1,6 km SE of Irkutsk-2 Airport - Russia
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Irkutsk-2 Airport (UIIR)
Destination airport:	Vladivostok Airport (VVO/UHWW)

Narrative:
An Antonov 124-100 transport plane was destroyed when it crashed immediately after takeoff from Irkutsk-2 Airport, Russia. The airplane struck houses in a residential area, killing all 23 on board and 45 persons on the ground.
The An-124 was leased from the Russian Air Force by Cargotrans to transport two Sukhoi Su-27 fighter planes to Vietnam. The planned destination was Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam with an en route stop at Vladivostok Airport (VVO), Russia.
Three seconds after lifting off runway 14, at a height of about 5 m the number 3 engine surged. Climbing away with a high angle of attack engines no. 2 and 1 also surged. The airplane reached a maximum height of 66 m before it descended, striking several buildings. It crashed into a residential area, 1600 m beyond the runway end.

Conclusions
Sequential shutdown of three main propulsion systems during takeoff and initial climb due to:
- Activation of the fuel shutoff solenoid valve MKT-163 on the second engine. The cause could not be determined due to insufficient Flight Data Recorder (FDR) information and severe damage to the engine control system.
- Compressor surge in the first and third engines caused by a combination of a structural defect in the high-pressure compressor of D-18T engines (first series). This defect prevented maintaining permissible radial clearances at takeoff power settings due to significant thermal inertia differences between the rotor and stator.
Other contributing factors, most likely uneven wear of the special coating and airflow distortions.

Sources:

Aviation Week & Space Technology 15.12.1997 (29)
airdisaster.ru

Location

Images:

photo (c) www.stv21.ru; Irkutsk; December 1997