1948 Bodaybo Li-2 crash

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1948 Bodaybo Li-2 crash

Li-2 of Aeroflot
Accident
Date	24 April 1948 (1948-04-24)
Summary	Turbulence, loss of control
Site	Vitim River near Mamakan
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Lisunov Li-2T
Operator	Aeroflot (East Siberian TU GVF, 11 ATO)
Registration	CCCP-Л4460
Flight origin	Irkutsk
Stopover	Kirensk
Destination	Bodaybo
Occupants	29
Passengers	25
Crew	4
Fatalities	28
Survivors	1

The 1948 Bodaybo Li-2 crash was a fatal aviation accident involving a passenger aircraft operated by Aeroflot that occurred on April 24, 1948, when the plane lost control and crashed on the Vitim River near Bodaybo, resulting in the deaths of 28 people.

The crew, commanded by Bykov V. T., was operating a Li-2 aircraft with tail number CCCP-Л4460 on a passenger flight from Irkutsk to Bodaybo with a stopover in Kirensk on April 23. As weather conditions on the route from Kirensk to Bodaybo were below minimum meteorological standards, the crew and passengers stayed overnight in Kirensk. According to available information, the crew members, along with airport staff, began drinking alcoholic beverages at the hotel that night. On the morning of April 24, the sky along the route to Bodaybo was covered with clouds, with a lower boundary between 600 and 1 000 meters, and icing was observed within the clouds. The sky over Bodaybo was also covered with clouds with a lower boundary of 1 000 to 1 500 meters, and visibility reached 10 kilometers. Despite the challenging weather conditions along the route, the crew began preparing for departure to Bodaybo at 6 a.m., and the airport manager authorized the flight at an altitude of 1 800 meters, i.e., in the clouds. During pre-flight preparations, co-pilot Krupin went to the buffet, where he drank alcohol. When Л4460 taxied to the runway, the weather in Bodaybo had deteriorated, forcing the crew to return to the parking area. When the weather at the destination improved, the airliner took off from Kirensk at 08:00.

According to the plan, the flight should have passed through Vitim, but the crew decided to take a shortcut. At 09:05, the crew reported that there was a slight vibration in the right engine, and at 09:33, it was reported that the flight was in clouds, with the engine vibration increasing. After that, the crew did not make any further contact. It was established that the crew unexpectedly encountered a severe snowstorm during the flight. However, likely under the influence of alcohol, they decided not to return but to continue the flight, pushing through the snowstorm. In the Mamy area, the pilots descended through a break in the clouds and then flew along the Vitim River at an altitude of 100 meters below the surrounding mountains. The airliner periodically encountered snow charges, and turbulence increased, causing deformation of the fuselage and wing, with banks reaching 50 to 60 degrees. The passengers lost consciousness and were tossed around the cabin. Then, near the village of Mamakan and 15 kilometers from Bodaybo, the Li-2 entered another snow charge, which proved fatal. Losing control, the aircraft rolled to the left, plunged down, and crashed into the ice of the river. Rescue services found only one surviving passenger. All other 28 people perished.

According to the conclusion of the commission that investigated the incident, the crash resulted from a combination of several factors:^[1]

• Departure of the aircraft in weather conditions below the minimum standard;
• Agreement to accept the aircraft under such weather conditions;
• Continuation of the flight upon encountering severe weather conditions;
• Encounter with turbulence at low altitude, resulting in a loss of control and partial deformation of the aircraft;
• Incorrect weather forecast.

• Accident narrative at B3A Archives

• List of sole survivors of airline accidents or incidents