UTair Flight 471

Infobox Airliner accident
Name = UTair Flight 471
Crash

Image caption = A view of the wreckage.
Date = March 17 2007
Type = Structural failure during an emergency landing
Site = Samara Kurumoch Airport (IATA: KUF; ICAO: UWWW) near Samara, Russia
Fatalities = 6
Injuries = 57
Aircraft Type = Tupolev Tu-134
Operator = UTair Aviation
Tail Number = RA-65021
Passengers = 50
Crew = 7
Survivors = 51

UTair Flight 471cite web |url=http://www.utair.ru/ru/news/news_current.shtml?2007/03/20070317-577.html |title=Сообщение ОАО «Авиакомпания «ЮТэйр» (12:32 МСК) |accessdate=2007-03-17 |date=2007-03-17 |publisher=UT Air |language=Russian] was a scheduled domestic passenger flight of a Tupolev Tu-134 on March 17, 2007, that suffered heavy structural damage during a hard landing at Samara Kurumoch Airport near Samara, Russia. Of the 50 passengers and 7 crew members onboard, 6 people were killed and 20 injured when the aircraft broke apart. [cite news |title=Seven die in Russian air crash |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6461353.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=2007-03-17 |accessdate=2007-03-18 ] [http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=2007-03-17. Obtained 2008-04-22] The plane was flying from the Siberian city of Surgut to Samara and then to Belgorod.

Background

The aircraft was a Tupolev Tu-134 passenger aircraft, operated by UTair. On the day of the accident the aircraft was thought to be carrying 50 passengers and seven crew.cite news |author= |title=5 Dead, Dozens Wounded as Russian Aircraft Collapses at Landing |url=http://www.mosnews.com/news/2007/03/17/samara.shtml |publisher=MosNews |date=2007-03-17 |accessdate=2007-03-17] It was flying as a domestic passenger carrier based in Surgut Airport, serving Surgut, Siberia and Belgorod, with a scheduled stop in Samara.cite news |author= |title=Plane Crashes On Landing |url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1256296,00.html |publisher=Sky News |date=2007-03-17 |accessdate=2007-03-17]

Event

The aircraft was landing at Samara Kurumoch Airport, when it touched down about 400 meters short of a runway in heavy fog, bouncing and flipping over. [http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/World/2007/03/18/3775677-sun.html Pilot blamed as 6 die in Russian plane crash] ] [http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=nation_world&id=5131973 Russian Jet Crashes Short of Runway, Kills 6] ] Six people were killed and 26 injured. The accident occurred at about 10:45 a.m. local time (06:45 GMT). [http://washingtontimes.com/upi/20070317-064242-7853r Five dead in Russian jet crash] - United Press International - "The Washington Times" - Obtained March 17, 2007.] The aircraft did not catch fire after the accident, [http://www.skynews.com.au/story.asp?id=159569 Russia plane crash] - Sky News - Obtained March 17, 2007.] as is often the case with airliner accidents.

Emergency response

At least 23 people were hospitalized in facilities in Samara and nearby Tolyatti, six of whom were in serious condition. [http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070317/62146995.html Update: 6 people remain in crashed plane body in Samara] - RIA Novosti - Obtained March 17, 2007.] Six people were trapped in the wreckage for a total of three hours before being cut free by rescue crews. [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/91427587-FB6F-46D4-B3EA-B440F0E33AEA.htm Seven die in Russian air crash] - Al Jazeera English - Obtained March 17, 2007.] 23 more people were not injured but received psychological treatment at the airport.

Investigation

According to transport officials and prosecutors a full investigation has been launched by the relevant authorities. [http://www.570news.com/news/international/article.jsp?content=w031711A Passenger jet crash landing in central Russia kills 7 people] - 570news.com - Obtained March 17, 2007.] Investigators state that they have recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) on the day of the accident and are studying them to determine the cause of the accident. Prosecutors investigating the crash in Samara said bad weather and pilot error were the most likely causes. [http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/World/2007/03/18/3775677-sun.html Pilot blamed as 6 die in Russian plane crash] ]

Initial analysis of the flight data recorder suggests the aircraft was not experiencing any obvious technical malfunction before the accident. Russia's interstate aviation committee MAK states a preliminary assessment shows both engines were operating up to the point of impact. The aircraft was in landing configuration, with the undercarriage lowered and the flaps positioned at 30 degrees, and did not suffer fire or other damage while airborne. [Flight International 27 March 2007] .

According to the findings of the official MAK investigation [ [http://www.mak.ru/russian/investigations/2007/65021/Ty-134_17-03-2007.pdf MAK investigation conclusion (Russian)] ] , the crash can be blamed on both the airport services, which did not inform the pilot about the reduced visibility in time due to organizational problems, and on the pilot, who did not give the dispatcher the correct information about his landing trajectory and, consequently, did not decide to stop the landing procedure and try to take another approach at the time he should have done so.

UTair's reaction

Within hours of the crash, UTair issued a statement saying that the aircraft had been in good technical condition and that foggy weather was likely to have caused the accident. The company also said the crew was well-skilled and had long experience. [http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070317/62157947.html Weather, technical, human factors considered Tu-134 crash versions] - RIA Novosti - Obtained March 17, 2007.] They also decided to pay out US$75,000 to the families of each deceased person.

See also

*List of notable accidents and incidents on commercial aircraft

References

External links

* [http://www.aerotransport.org/php/go.php?query=airframes&qstring=Tu-134+msn+48390&q=RA-65021&where=t2.type_id%3D3225001+and+pl.cn%3D48390.00&orderby=1 Aircraft ownership history]
* [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=RA-65021&distinct_entry=true Pre-accident photos of the aircraft]