UTair Flight 120

UTAir Flight 120
UTair ATR 72–201 (VP-BYZ) shown departing Vnukovo Airport in 2009
Accident
Date 2 April 2012
Summary Lost height on climb-out, impacted ground and burst into flames due to atmospheric icing and pilot error
Site Tyumen, Russia
57°09′26.4″N 65°16′00″E / 57.157333°N 65.26667°E / 57.157333; 65.26667Coordinates: 57°09′26.4″N 65°16′00″E / 57.157333°N 65.26667°E / 57.157333; 65.26667
Aircraft
Aircraft type ATR 72–201
Operator UTair Aviation
Registration VP-BYZ
Flight origin Roschino International Airport, Tyumen, Russia
Destination Surgut Airport, Surgut, Russia
Passengers 39
Crew 4
Fatalities 33
Injuries 10
Survivors 10

UTair Flight 120 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Tyumen, the largest city in Tyumen Oblast to Surgut, Russia.[1] On 2 April 2012, the ATR72-201 operating the flight crashed shortly after take-off from Roschino International Airport, killing 33 of the 43 people on board.[2] Investigation carried out by the Russian MAK revealed that the aircraft had not been de-iced prior to its take-off, even though the aircraft had been parked at the airport's apron for hours in snowy condition. The crew of the flight were aware that ice and snow had been formed on the aircraft, however they somehow decided not to de-ice the aircraft. As a result, an atmospheric icing occurred on board.[3]

Aircraft

The accident aircraft was an ATR 72-201,[4] manufactured by the French-Italian ATR and registered in Bermuda as VP-BYZ.[5] The aircraft, msn 332, was manufactured in 1992 and first flew on 20 October of that year. It was delivered to TransAsia Airways on 16 December 1992 and subsequently served with Finnair and Aero Airlines before entering service with UTair Aviation in July 2008.[6]

Accident

Accident location shown within Russia

Flight 120 departed Tyumen, the largest city and the capital of Tyumen Oblast, to Surgut, a major city in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug with 39 passengers and 4 crew members on board, on 07:33 local time (01:33 UTC). The weather was "snow-mixed rain" at the time and the temperature was at around 0 degree Celsius. At around 600 ft, the autopilot was engaged and the flaps were retracted by the crews.[3]

Just 8 seconds after the flaps retraction, the aircraft began an uncommanded roll to the right. The crew immediately disengaged the autopilot. Within 3 seconds, the angle of the roll reached 40 degree. The crew tried to counteract the roll by applying ailerons and rudder. The movement of the aircraft became more erratic. It then began to roll to the left.[5][3]

As Flight 120's movement became more erratic, it also began to lose its altitude. It then crashed onto an open field near the runway at 07:34 local time (01:34 UTC) and burst into flames. The aircraft broke into several pieces. The accident occurred at about 1 nautical mile (2 km) south west of the end of the main runway, near the village of Gorkovka.[7] There were 31 fatalities and 12 survivors from the 43 people on board.[8] One source states that all four flight crew were killed,[5] although another states that the first officer survived. All twelve survivors sustained critical injuries.[7] They were taken to the hospital in Tyumen.[5] The number of victims soon increased to 33 (10 survivors).[9]

Passengers and crews

Flight 120 was carrying 39 passengers and 5 crew members. UTair had sold 40 tickets for the flight, but a passenger from Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug failed to arrive on time.[10] Nikolay Medvedev, a member of the board of Surgutneftegaz, was among the passengers.[11]

The Captain of the flight was 27-year old Sergey Sergeevich Antsin. He had completed his flight training in Ulyanovsk Civil Flying School and graduated in 2008, subsequently employed by Utair on the same year as a First Officer. He had accrued a total flying experience of 2,602 flight hours, of which 2,522 hours were on the ATR-72. He had also flown a Yakovlev Yak-18 and an Antonov An-26.[3]

The co-pilot was identified as 23-year old Nikita Vitalievich Chekhlov. He had attended Krasnokutsk Civil Flight School in Krasnokutsk, Ukraine and graduated in 2008, later employed by Utair on the same year. He had accrued a total flying experience of 1,825 hours, of which 634 hours were on the ATR-72. In 2009, he had completed his ATR-72 training in Sabenavita Training Center in Lithuania.[3]

Investigation

The wreckage of Flight 120. Traces of snow and ice could be seen in the tailfin.

Officials said investigators were focusing on the possibility of a technical malfunction as an eyewitness reported seeing smoke coming from the plane's engines as it came down. The aircraft's flight data recorder was recovered in good condition.[10]

The Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) released their final report on 16 July 2013. They determined the cause of the accident to be that the aircraft departed without having been de-iced, though the crew were aware snow and ice had accumulated, and, as a result, stalled on climb-out. The crew did not realise the aircraft had stalled. The report also identified a number of contributing factors that had to do with the airline's safety and training deficiencies.[7]

In November 2015, the court sentenced mechanic Andrey Pisarev and maintenance manager Anatoly Petrochenko to five years and one month in prison. Captain Sergey Antsin who died in the crash was also found guilty of the accident.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "UT120 Flight, UTair, Tyumen to Surgut". www.flightr.net. Retrieved 2016-12-06.
  2. ↑ ITAR-TASS NEWS AGENCY.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Final Report" (PDF). MAK.
  4. ↑ Тюмень: в спасательных работах задействовано более 230 человек [Tyumen in rescue operations involving over 230 people] (in Russian). NewsProm.ru. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Russian plane crashes in Siberia". BBC News. 2 April 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  6. ↑ "ATR 42/72 – MSN 332 – VP-BYZ". Airfleets. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 Hradecky, Simon (17 July 2012). "Crash: UTAir AT72 near Gorkovka on Apr 2nd 2012, lost height in initial climb". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  8. ↑ "Plane crash in Siberia kills 31". USA Today. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  9. ↑ ITAR-TASS NEWS AGENCY
  10. 1 2 "UTair passenger plane crashes in Siberia, killing 31". BNO News. 2 April 2012. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  11. ↑ http://www.interfax.ru/news.asp?id=238888
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