Aeroflot Flight 909 was a scheduled domestic flight overnight on 5/6 March 1976 flown by Ilyushin Il-18E registered ''CCCP-74508''. The aircraft lost control following an electrical failure and crashed near

Voronezh Voronezh ( rus, links=no, Воро́неж, p=vɐˈronʲɪʂ}) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on ...

in the Soviet Union. All 111 on board were killed.

Accident

The aircraft was on a domestic passenger flight between Moscow and Yerevan at flight level 260 (about ) when an electrical failure disabled some of the aircraft instruments including the compass and the two main gyros. Some people say that the aircraft may have collided with a military training airplane that had lost its way during a night flight. It was 00:58 in the dark and according to the official version without a natural horizon due to clouds the crew became confused on the orientation of the aircraft and control was lost and the aircraft crashed killing all on board. However, a number of experts affirm that it is difficult to believe that such a professional crew could lose control in these circumstances. Some reports show that seven were killed on the ground.CAP479, p. 5/76

Aircraft

The aircraft was a four-engined Ilyushin Il-18E turboprop built in 1966.

References

{{Aviation accidents and incidents in Russia Aviation accidents and incidents in 1976

909 __NOTOC__ Year 909 ( CMIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Britain * King Edward the Elder and his sister, Princess Æthelflæd of Mercia, raid Danish ...

1976 in the Soviet Union Accidents and incidents involving the Ilyushin Il-18 Aviation accidents and incidents in the Soviet Union Airliner accidents and incidents caused by electrical failure March 1976 events in Europe