People have always dreamed of flying. It was possible to realize the plan only after the invention of aircraft. However, like any objects created on the earth, airplanes and airliners are subject to gravity, which means they can fall, claiming tens and hundreds of lives. One of these accidents was a plane crash in Irkutsk in 1997. She repeated in 2001 and 2006. We will talk about these tragic events and consequences in this article.
Timeline of events of the Irkutsk air crash of 1997
December 6, 1997 in Irkutsk there was a tragic accident associated with the crash of the An-124 transport aircraft. From the brief history of the fall of air transport, the following is known:
- the plane followed the route Moscow-Irkutsk-Vladivostok-Kamran;
- on board were 15 passengers and 8 crew members;
- the purpose of the flight was to transport two 40-ton fighters created at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant to the territory of Vietnam;
- approximately 3 seconds after the aircraft was raised to a height of five meters, surging of motor No. 3 arose with its subsequent shutdown;
- exactly 6 seconds after the further rise of air transport to a 22-meter height, engine No. 2 stopped;
- exactly 2 seconds after climbing to a 66-meter height, the third engine stopped;
- working only on one engine, the plane went down.
Due to the above malfunction, a plane crash occurred (Irkutsk, 1997) - the plane crashed into residential buildings. The crash killed all crew members and 45 people - residents of damaged houses, over 70 families lost their own housing.
What is the cause of the 1997 Irkutsk disaster?
The tragic event of 1997 caused a huge resonance in the press. She was talked about not only in Russia, but also far beyond its borders. Moreover, most of the media representatives immediately described several possible versions of the disaster, one of which was the surge of two engines, as well as valve malfunctions on the third motor. This reason fully coincides with the official version of the special commission investigating the incident and compiling the final report on the disaster. It also mentions maintenance errors.
Plane crash (Irkutsk, 2001): chronology of events
July 4, 2001 in Irkutsk there was an accident of another airliner - Tu-154M, following the route Yekaterinburg-Irkutsk-Vladivostok. According to the expert commission, the take-off from Yekaterinburg and the rise of the liner to a height of 10,100 meters passed as planned, without any obvious violations.
Problems with the management of the aircraft arose as the passenger Tu-154M began to land in Irkutsk. There was a failure of the electronics, the plane began to fall, went into a tailspin, and there was a plane crash (Irkutsk, 2001). The plane fell to the ground, began to burn and completely collapsed.
What are the reasons for the 2001 Irkutsk tragedy?
According to preliminary data, the cause of the disaster was a panic on the part of crew members who were unable to recognize and neutralize “stalling the plane during a landing approach in time”.
According to experts, the crew was heavily worn out, since on the day of the accident it flew for approximately 20,953 hours and made over 11,387 flights from the take-off and landing cycle. Such an extraordinary fate was waiting for this powerful Tu-154 airliner. Irkutsk (plane crash) interrupted the lives of 145 people, including 9 crew members and 136 ordinary passengers.
This terrible disaster in 2006
On July 9, 2006, the third Irkutsk accident occurred. This time the catastrophe happened with the participation of the Airbus A310-324 airliner, flying from Moscow to Irkutsk. From the data of the commission for the investigation of the accident, it is known that as a result of improper and uncoordinated actions of the crew, one of the engines accidentally deactivated.
As a result, when landing at the Irkutsk airport, the plane rolled out of the runway and, without timely braking, collided with a garage complex. So there was a new plane crash (Irkutsk, 2006), which claimed the lives of 125 people (among them - 8 crew members and 195 passengers), 63 people received injuries and injuries of varying severity.
Investigation and planned investigation
The negligence of the crew, which led to the tragedy, caused a lot of negativity and public indignation. In search of the causes and perpetrators of the accident, relatives of the victims stormed the Siberia Airlines office and repeatedly turned to private detective agencies for help.
The very investigation to investigate the causes of the disaster lasted exactly two years and five months. The total volume of materials involved in the trial amounted to 55 volumes. During this time, more than 10 different versions of the incident were put forward, 339 forensic, 205 medical and 128 genetic examinations were performed.
According to the results of the investigation, erroneous and uncontrolled actions of crew members carried out during the landing of the aircraft were announced . The plane crash (Irkutsk) of 2006 led to all this.
Time for exploits: flight attendant Andrew
Despite the tragedy of the 2006 incident, not all crew members were confused and panicked. Some, on the contrary, showed their best heroic qualities. So, the plane crash in Irkutsk turned into a real hero one of the flight attendants - Andrei Dyakonov.
According to eyewitnesses, it was Andrei who was not taken aback during the explosion and fire on the starboard side of the liner. According to the instructions, he knocked out the jammed front door with his foot and began to release passengers one at a time. Thus, the flight attendant managed to save the lives of 30 people. However, Andrei himself did not have time to jump out of the burning cabin of the aircraft. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage.
The feat of stewardess Victoria Silberstein
The plane crash in Irkutsk and stewardess Victoria Zilberstein did not allow to get confused. According to eyewitnesses, it is known that this brave 22-year-old girl not only got out of the rubble herself, but also managed to bring other passengers through the emergency exit she found. During the rescue mission, Victoria led 20 people.
The stewardess herself survived, although she received some injuries and concussions. The girl for a long time came to her senses in the hospital. Sklifosovsky. After discharge, she again returned to her profession.
After the plane crash in Irkutsk was fully investigated and the perpetrators were declared, Victoria was awarded the “Hurry up to do good” medal, received the “For courage” distinction and was awarded several more titles and awards.