IL-76 down near Moscow

[JR_wilco]

A civilian IL-76 (owned by RUS)crashed this morning whilst getting airborne on a military airfield near moscow. All crewmembers on board are reported dead.
read more: http://www.jacdec.de
http://news6.thdo.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid%5F1438000/1438414.stm

note the picture!!!

JR

[Smoketrails]

BBC, as ever very accurate :(

[Electric Sky]

Any clues as to the significance of the Ilyushin IL-62 picture in the BBC report????

Sad news from Russia again though :(

[ionov]

www.airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net)

[ionov]

Additional information: http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm http://www.russianobserver.com

[ionov]

The crash cargo aircraft IL-76 in Chkalovsk
near the Moscow again focuses problem on the
safety record in Russian aviation.Dozen days
ago all world was shocked by Irkutsk tragedy
of the crash the plane TU-154.The committee
of investigation did the development-error
of the crew members.And in case with IL-76
the Russian press blamed the crew because
aircraft was overloaded.Usually passenger's
aircraft overloaded 3-6% from MTOW,but cargo
aircraft 3-15% of MTOW ("the extra fuel has
no weight").But why?The root of problem keep
dark under the old political and industrial
systems.Does somebody tell me what country
the captain of aircraft like Boeng-727 making
money $200-300 US dollars per month?Sorry,folk.

[Lybid]

We should all be cautious of falling into this stereotyped trap of blaming old aeroplanes. Despite the fact that many of former Soviet aircraft are approaching or past the end of their service lives, these lives were set by a 'throw-away' centrally planned economy. Most of these aircraft have substantially fewer flight hours and even calendar life than the equivalent western aircraft. Given that soviet equipment, properly operated, is usually more reliable than its western equivalent (most recent example being Intl Space Station software), AK47, An12 and IL76, then careful reading of the accident reports will usually tell you that these accidents occur due to human factors, not aircraft failures.
And as Ionov comments, when your salary is no more than 200-300 usd/month, or lower paid engineering or support staff on 50 usd/month then it is not surprising that they fall prey to temptation to cut corners or to take bribes.

The Soviet aviation system, when functioning properly was probably the most conservative and safest in the world. Look at crew duty limits of only 70 hours/month - including 24 hours off before and after crossing an ocean.

It is the system and the prevailing economics which are mostly at fault - not th aeroplanes.

Yours
Lybid.

[Jim lovell]

Apparently Aeroflot pilots are supposed to be the most "technically minded" pilots in the world. All Aeroflot's pilots go through a special aviation college where they not only learn to fly but learn a very comprehensive engineering aspect too. Also most Russian airline pilots are ex-military(MiG 29/31/SU-27 etc). However they are also susceptible to human error- the most famous example being the Aeroflot A310 that crashed in 1994 due to the Captains son placing the a/c in a flat spin at nightime over central siberia, and there were 4 pilots in the cockpit- none of which was able to recover the a/c

[LatviaCalling]

Aeroflot equipment is wearing out and it is wearing out fast. The Tupolev factory does not make any more spare parts for the TU-134. Therefore, those of you that fly into Russia can see TU-134s in various stages of piracy or dismantling. I don't know for sure, but I think the same holds true for the TU-154.

Can you imagine going to the neighborhood junkyard to pick up a new set of unbalanced and untested engine blades while you have 200 anxious passengers already sitting aboard for eight hours. This has happened.

Maybe Aeroflot will buy Aer Lingus for GBP 300 million. Just planewise it would be cheaper than buying from Airbus or Boeing.

[Lybid]

LatviaCalling
Tu154M is current production at Aviakor in Samara. Not terribly successful but internationally compliant.

"Can you imagine going to the neighborhood junkyard to pick up a new set of unbalanced and untested engine blades while you have 200 anxious passengers already sitting aboard for eight hours. This has happened."

Please tell us where/when this incident took place. It stretches my credulity.

Yours
Lybid :confused:

[ionov]

I beg to differ Mr.LatviaCalling.
For a several years I was been frequently the
participant of fact-finding committee of in-
cidents(TU-154,IL-76,AN-26) and NEVER found
facts to use uncertificated spare parts or
untested parts of fuselage,engines,any kind
of equipment,etc... Of course,sometimes falled set the installation from another
aircraft but always has the rest of service
lives or valid certificate.
If you heeded for the accident reports you
can see that ~80% of all numbers occur due to
human factor and only ~20% by another reasons
(ATC,meteo,ground equipment failure,etc..)
Therefore the old political system forced
the crew to break the flight laws.
How many times falled to lift-off from last
flag-stone of the runway...
So-and-so,buddy.

[Lybid]

Latest:

Russia's MAK confirms identity of crashed Il-76
David Morrow, London (16Jul01, 11:24 GMT, 170 words)


Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) has commenced an analysis of the flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders from the commercially-operated Ilyushin Il-76MD which crashed shortly after take-off from Chkalovsk airfield near Moscow on 14 July.

MAK confirms the identity of the aircraft as RA-76588 adding that it was being operated by a carrier known only as Rus. All ten personnel on board the aircraft were killed in the crash.

“The aircraft is completely destroyed,” says an MAK statement. “Most of the aircraft and cargo wreckage has been destroyed by fire on the ground.

“At the accident site the cockpit-voice and flight-data recorders, which underwent large impact loads and high temperatures, have been found. The recorders have been delivered to the MAK where work on recovering the information has begun. Preliminary analysis shows that the recorders contain vocal and parametric information on the take-off.”

Powered by Soloviev D-30 turbofans the Il-76MD was a 17-year old military variant originally ordered by the Soviet Air Force but later transferred to the Ukrainian ministry of transport.


Source: Air Transport Intelligence news

[Lybid]

*** Cargo Plane Crashes Near Moscow, 10 Dead
In Russia‘s second air disaster in as many weeks, a cargo plane crashed Saturday shortly after takeoff from the Chkalovsky military airport near Moscow, killing all 10 people on board.
The four-engine Il-76TD flown by Rus, a private airline, was bound for the Arctic city of Norilsk with 40 tons of construction materials. The 10 people on board were all crew members.
Investigators are expected to issue a preliminary report into the cause of the crash Tuesday. Initial speculation that overloading was to blame was quickly denied by Rus.
“There are many theories, but I won‘t speak of any of them now,“ Deputy Transportation Minister Karl Ruppel was quoted by Interfax as saying Saturday.
“We don‘t have any theories. : We are waiting for the results of the government commission investigation, which are due Tuesday,“ Yevgeny Rybyakov, adviser to the Rus general director, said by telephone Sunday.
He said Rus was working closely with investigators to find out why the plane, whose fuel tanks were filled to the brim, abruptly dived to the ground about half a kilometer from the runway and burst into a ball of fire.
Interfax quoted an air force official as saying that the plane had spent four to five minutes aloft and could have climbed 400 to 600 meters before crashing into the woods at about 9 a.m.
It took the 300 or so firefighters and other rescuers 40 minutes to put out the blaze, according to Russian news agencies. The airport is about 30 kilometers northeast of Moscow.
Rus was set up in 1999 and until Saturday had never suffered a crash.
The airline said the Il-76 was in top condition on the day of the crash, ruling out engine failure.
“The plane had been through necessary technical service and was fully operational,“ Rybyakov said.
He said that Rybinsk Motors, the maker of the Il-76‘s engines, had called a meeting after the crash at which it stated engine failure was unlikely.
Officials at Rybinsk Motors could not be reached for comment Sunday.
The Il-76 that crashed Saturday had flown 3,480 hours, well under its estimated life span of 20,000 hours. Rus began operating the plane last year.
Rus said in a statement that it was confident the plane had not been overloaded. “Before loading the cargo was subject to control twice : which is supported by documents presented to the [investigating] commission,“ the airline said.
Rybyakov added: “The plane took off 600 meters before the end of the runway, which shows that it was not overloaded. Otherwise it would have taken longer to take off.“
Overloading on Russian cargo planes has sparked concern recently. Last year, the Federal Security Service accused East Line, a large air cargo carrier, of overloading its aircraft, an allegation it vehemently denied.
Another airline, Elf Air, saw its license suspended in 1999 after one of its Il-76 jets crashed on takeoff from the Irkutsk airport. None of the eight people on board that flight died.
The Il-76 is the workhorse of Russian cargo carriers. The aircraft entered mass production in the early 1970s, and there are 187 of them flying today, according to the State Civil Aviation Service.
Vyacheslav Boiko was the flight commander of the ill-fated Il-76 Saturday, according to Rus. He had accumulated about 13,000 flight hours, 5,000 hours of which were on the Il-76.
Rus ranks as the 13th largest cargo airline in Russia and flies to Europe, Asia and Africa, according to the civil aviation service. It also flies on government missions.
After the crash, the airline has a fleet of 11 Il-76s. It also has two Tu-154M jets, which it uses on domestic passenger flights.
The Rus fleet has been grounded pending the outcome of the crash investigation.
“This is a normal reaction and we hope we will be allowed to resume flights after the cause of the catastrophe is made known,“ Rybyakov said.
The Saturday crash could raise fresh fears about the safety of Russian aircraft. The nation is still reeling from the crash of a Tu-154 Vladivostokavia jet on July 4 near the Irkutsk airport that killed all 136 passengers and nine crew members on board. Investigators last week blamed pilot error for that crash.
By Lyuba Pronina

/Moscow Times/

[LatviaCalling]

Lybid,

To the best of my knowledge the turbine blade switching took place at Pulkovo International Airport at Leningrad/St.Petersburg, Russia in April 1996 from a disused TU-134.

Ionov,

We don't too often hear from the defenders of the the Russian aviation system, and when we do, it is usually always very defensive. I don't have a problem with most of the pilots when they are not taking bribes for extra cargo, nor do I have problems when they show up sober. I also don't have problems when the plane is in good technical condition.

In the past, I have flown Russian airlines quite often. I stopped doing it about eight years ago.

Don't be so xenophobic. We even criticize BA and Silk Air.

[ATC Watcher]

Over the years I have learned to learn and respect old soviet aircraft and their crews.
they do not operate to the same "western " rules, but have qualities that we, in the west have forgotten.
They very rarely blindly rely on technology and use judgement and are very inventive in solving small problems.
In bad weather, in an airfield with minimum facilities,with half the ground aids u/s or uncalibrated, I'd rather have a TU154 with 3 guys in front totalling over 30.000 h than an A320 with 2 kids whose combined total is less than 3000..

[ionov]

In addition to ATCWatcher:
In according to Russian Aviation
Regulations (NPP GA) every captain must be
exposed at least one time per month the total
control including decoding CVR and CDR as
random choice.But in reality it making in
100% by carry out of international flights
and approximately 80% of domestic flights.
In case offence against the flight law the
crew get discipline action,right-of-way to
expropriate license.


Somebody can criticize even the Lord,if
to be entitled....

[5 APU's captain]

Fully agree with ATC Watcher and Ionov.
When I flew for Aeroflot ten years ago- every my flight has been deshifrated(FDR-64).
Scheduled airlines still keep the quality. But there are a lot of charter airlines in ex-USSR. After USSR collapse about 10 000 pilots have lost the job, they are agree to fly for any money, anywhere. Especially cargo guys are doing money by extra loading of cargo. And last one crashed has had full cargo load and full fuel. Is anybody from
IL 76 to explain if it is possible?
And one more rumour from Russia - may be captain's boss (ex- IL62 PIC)was at the controls???

[Stubenfliege]

Hi ya,

here are two news on that recent crash:

<<18 Jul 2001] Officials investigating Saturday`s crash of an Il-76 transport plane said Tuesday that it occurred because the plane was overloaded, Interfax reported.

The aircraft, which belonged to the Rus airline, slammed into a forest shortly after taking off from an air base near Moscow, killing all its crew of 10.

A preliminary report into the crash due to be released Tuesday was delayed by nvestigators. Interfax said that they were having difficulty analyzing the plane`s damaged flight recorders.

/AP/ and Avia.ru>>

and the second:

<<18 Jul 2001] Rus Airline, the operator of the crashed Ilyushin IL-76TD cargo plane has provided new
information that may shed light on the causes behind this tragic accident, source in the airline reported.

According to the source, the committee has already deciphered recording from cockpit voice recorders
indicating that the plane was piloted by someone else not Capt. Vyacheslav Boiko.

"Vyacheslav Boiko`s voice was not heard at all in this recording. The communications with ATC was done by
another person, who rode in the captain`s seat", the source pointed out.

The plane could have been piloted by Vyacheslav Kuskov, head of division, Moscow Department, State Civil
Aviation Authority. He accompanied this flight with the aim to inspect crew`s actions during the flight. Kuskov
did not have appropriate experience in piloting this type of aircraft, since in his aviation career he flew Ilyushin
IL-62, which was quite a different type of aircraft. As a check pilot, he could have overtaken controls from
captain, the source pointed out.

/AVIA.RU/

[LatviaCalling]

As mentioned before, Russian planes, even though built like T-34 tanks, are worn out and can't comply to ICAO noise and safety standards.

The Russian Deputy Transportation Minister Pavel Rozhkov said Monday that if the ICAO standards went into effect as planned in April 2002, only about 20% of the total Russian air fleet would be allowed to cross into EU territory. He said it would take until 2006 to upgrade the total fleet of Russian registered aircraft.

As usual, there were Russian threats accompanied by the statistics.

On July 13 the English-language Moscow Times reported the following:


Russia Warns EU on Flight Restrictions

By Lyuba Pronina
Staff Writer

The government is threatening to restrict flights from the European Union if Russian airlines aren't granted an extension on new noise and emission standards that would effectively ban them from flying to EU countries.

As of April 1, 2002, the EU will adhere to the new standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization, and currently just 488 of the 6,540 planes flown by Russian carriers are compliant, according to the State Civil Aviation Service.

Russian civil aviation authorities are asking the EU to exempt Russian passenger and cargo planes from the new standards because most airlines can't afford the costly upgrades, which can run as high as $15 million per plane.

"There will be no unilateral flights to the Russian Federation if restrictions are introduced against our airlines," said Deputy Transportation Minister Pavel Rozhkov.

Top Russian officials are using ICAO president Assad Kotaite's visit to Moscow this week as a chance to lobby their case, hoping he can help broker a compromise with the European Union. Transportation Minister Sergei Frank met with Kotaite on Thursday, and Prime Minster Mikhail Kasyanov was scheduled to meet with him Friday.

Kotaite called the case "extremely delicate and very complicated" and cautioned Russia against hasty retaliatory measures.

"I don't think it's healthy … to respond with war measures," Kotaite said. "This is why ICAO was established … to find a way [to agree] on sound policy," he said.

The final verdict is expected to be announced at the ICAO's 33rd assembly in Montreal, which begins Sept. 25 and will include all 187 member states.

The bulk of Russian passenger planes currently operating were built in the 1970s, and only the Il-96, Tu-204, Yak-42 and modified Tu-154M comply with the new requirements. The new rules would affect the vast majority of other models, including the workhorses Tu-134, Il-86 and Il-76 cargo carrier.

About 241 Tu-154Ms, Il-62s, Yak-42s and An-124s require hush kits that reduce noise levels.

Aircraft like the Il-86, Il-76 and Tu-134 need entire engines replaced. Aviation authorities are looking to install new $2.5 million PS-90 engines on Il-76 and Il-86 models.

"But it's clear that we will not make it to April 1," said Viktor Samokhin, deputy head of the department of flight viability at the State Civil Aviation Service.

"We have 187 Il-76s, 74 Il-86s and 247 Tu-134s. The program of modernization for 2002 calls for replacing engines on 25 Il-76s, five Il-86s and 20 Tu-134s, but this work will be a big financial burden on our airlines," Samokhin said. New engines for the Il-76s and Tu-134s cost $15 million and $6 million, respectively, he added.

Russia's flagship carrier Aeroflot, which has dozens of noncompliant craft in its fleet of 111, is gambling its future on Russia's ability to extend the deadline.

"We are not planning to invest money into their upgrade. It's futile — their lifetimes will expire very soon," a company spokesman said.

Samokhin called on the ICAO's Kotaite to help forge a deal with the European Union:

"For our companies, even with the support of the state it's practically impossible to find financing in the time that remains, and therefore, Mr. President, we turn to you to somehow extend the flying period for planes that do not comply."
_____

Maybe that's why Aeroflot wants to buy Aer Lingus?

[ionov]

By Lyuba Pronina
Staff Writer
Emergency workers going through the rubble of the Rus Il-76 cargo jet that crashed just half a kilometer from the runway of the Chkalovsky airport on Saturday morning.

In Russia's second air disaster in as many weeks, a cargo plane crashed Saturday shortly after takeoff from the Chkalovsky military airport near Moscow, killing all 10 people on board.

The four-engine Il-76TD flown by Rus, a private airline, was bound for the Arctic city of Norilsk with 40 tons of construction materials. The 10 people on board were all crew members.

Investigators are expected to issue a preliminary report into the cause of the crash Tuesday. Initial speculation that overloading was to blame was quickly denied by Rus.

"There are many theories, but I won't speak of any of them now," Deputy Transportation Minister Karl Ruppel was quoted by Interfax as saying Saturday.

"We don't have any theories. … We are waiting for the results of the government commission investigation, which are due Tuesday," Yevgeny Rybyakov, adviser to the Rus general director, said by telephone Sunday.

He said Rus was working closely with investigators to find out why the plane, whose fuel tanks were filled to the brim, abruptly dived to the ground about half a kilometer from the runway and burst into a ball of fire.

Interfax quoted an air force official as saying that the plane had spent four to five minutes aloft and could have climbed 400 to 600 meters before crashing into the woods at about 9 a.m.

It took the 300 or so firefighters and other rescuers 40 minutes to put out the blaze, according to Russian news agencies. The airport is about 30 kilometers northeast of Moscow.

Rus was set up in 1999 and until Saturday had never suffered a crash.

The airline said the Il-76 was in top condition on the day of the crash, ruling out engine failure.

"The plane had been through necessary technical service and was fully operational," Rybyakov said.

He said that Rybinsk Motors, the maker of the Il-76's engines, had called a meeting after the crash at which it stated engine failure was unlikely.

Officials at Rybinsk Motors could not be reached for comment Sunday.

The Il-76 that crashed Saturday had flown 3,480 hours, well under its estimated life span of 20,000 hours. Rus began operating the plane last year.

Rus said in a statement that it was confident the plane had not been overloaded. "Before loading the cargo was subject to control twice … which is supported by documents presented to the [investigating] commission," the airline said.

Rybyakov added: "The plane took off 600 meters before the end of the runway, which shows that it was not overloaded. Otherwise it would have taken longer to take off."

Overloading on Russian cargo planes has sparked concern recently. Last year, the Federal Security Service accused East Line, a large air cargo carrier, of overloading its aircraft, an allegation it vehemently denied.

Another airline, Elf Air, saw its license suspended in 1999 after one of its Il-76 jets crashed on takeoff from the Irkutsk airport. None of the eight people on board that flight died.

The Il-76 is the workhorse of Russian cargo carriers. The aircraft entered mass production in the early 1970s, and there are 187 of them flying today, according to the State Civil Aviation Service.

Vyacheslav Boiko was the flight commander of the ill-fated Il-76 Saturday, according to Rus. He had accumulated about 13,000 flight hours, 5,000 hours of which were on the Il-76.

Rus ranks as the 13th largest cargo airline in Russia and flies to Europe, Asia and Africa, according to the civil aviation service. It also flies on government missions.

After the crash, the airline has a fleet of 11 Il-76s. It also has two Tu-154M jets, which it uses on domestic passenger flights.

The Rus fleet has been grounded pending the outcome of the crash investigation.

"This is a normal reaction and we hope we will be allowed to resume flights after the cause of the catastrophe is made known," Rybyakov said.

The Saturday crash could raise fresh fears about the safety of Russian aircraft. The nation is still reeling from the crash of a Tu-154 Vladivostokavia jet on July 4 near the Irkutsk airport that killed all 136 passengers and nine crew members on board. Investigators last week blamed pilot error for that crash.

[redfield]

I frequently wonder about maintenance levels on Russian aircraft like the TU154. The state of the tyres for example leaves much to be desired - worn down to the threads and with great chunks of rubber missing in my experience. On the other hand, has anyone ever had a tech TU154 in this country? :confused:

[ionov]

An IL 76 cargo jumbo jet crashed near the Chkalovsky airfield in the Moscow environs within an instant after takeoff, July 14, as its right wing caught on huge pines in a climb, says an investigation team preliminary conclusion.
The investigation revealed blatant misdoings by Rus Airlines, plane proprietor. The wrong men were appointed on the crew--and misinstructed before the flight, into the bargain. To make the matter still worse, flight papers were forged to conceal a bad overload which doomed the aircraft on its fatally bungled climb, says Alexander Neradko, federal First Deputy Transport Minister and State Civil Aviation Service chief.

[RATBOY]

Since nobody has bothered yet...Condolences to the families of the RUS crew. They got it just trying to do their jobs.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Years of flying and part-owning a Yak 52 have given me an insight into Russian aeroplanes. Before this experience, and having seen Russian cars and cameras, I thought they'd be crude. They do tend to be called 'agricultural' - but nothing could be further from the truth.

They are superbly engineered without regard to cost in a way that no western manufacturer could contemplate. They are very strong and absolutely superb to fly. The 9 cylinder Vendeneyev radial engine in ours has recently been replaced because it is 'time expired'. Under CAA rules they cannot be zero timed (and new ones are quite cheap anyway), so one of the guys took it home and stripped it down. He could detect no wear at all - the machining marks were still clearly visible on the pistons and cylinder bores. And this engine had spent most of its life at full power (100 percent power, 82 percent RPM) doing aeros!

I appreciate that the situation there these days may result in poor maintenance and a shortage of parts for ex-Russian airliners, but the basic quality and engineering of the aeroplanes should not be underestimated.

Not for nothing do the USA use 20 year old ex-Russian rocket engines to launch most of their non-Shuttle space vehicles.

SSD

[tech...again]

Absolutely, RATBOY.

And from a website whose address I now can't find (honestly):


Overloading and a lack of coordination among pilots caused the July 14 crash of a Russian cargo plane that killed all 10 people aboard, aviation officials announced yesterday (Monday).

The head of the state civil aviation authority, Deputy Transport Minister Alexander Neradko, announced the results of the crash probe at a meeting with aviation officials from around the country, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

The four-engine Il-76 transport plane crashed into a forest shortly after taking off from a military air base near Moscow.

The plane belonged to the Rus commercial aviation company and was being flown by a civilian crew, carrying a 40-tonne cargo of building materials and cosmetics, Russian media reported.

Several Russian plane crashes in recent years have been blamed on overloading of cargo and passengers.



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