Archive 2007

The Russian Aeronautical Authority issued the conclusions achieved by the Investigation Commission following the accident occurred on 29 July 2007 to the aircraft Antonov 12BP Reg. Marks RA 93912, that crashed  imediately after take off from Moscow Domodedovo airport. Seven crew members lost their lives in the accident.Here below you may find a brief summary of the final report: a direct relationship between the air crash and a multiple bird strike appears clear.It is the most serious event in the recent years after the Zaire tragedy in the year 2000 (24 killed).
The An-12 was prepared for a cargo flight from Moscow (DME) to Komsomol'sk-na-Amure Airport (KXK) with intermediate stops at Omsk (OMS) and Bratsk (BTK). The takeoff weight was 60500 kg with a 25,7% MAC, which was within limits.
The airplane transported 9043 kg of aircraft related materials to the Gagarin Aircraft Manufacturing Association in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (KnAAPO). The engines were started at 04:01. Six minutes later the airplane taxied to runway 32C for departure. As they were lining up the crew commented on the presence of birds in the area. The aircraft took off from Domodedovo Airport runway 32C at 04:15. At 04:16:17 the navigator reported "Safe, ten", indicating that the airplane had a safe speed and had gained 10 m of height after takeoff. The undercarriage was then retracted. At 04:16:32, at a height of 70-75m and an airspeed of 295 km/h (159 kts) there was a sound of an engine surge. The propeller of engine nr.4 autofeathered. Practically simultaneously the propeller of engine nr.3 also autofeathered. The airplane lost altitude. In attempting to maintain altitude, the airspeed dropped. In a right bank of more than 100°, the aircraft struck trees and disintegrated and burned in a forest, about 4km from the runway end.
Weather at 04:30 local time was reported as: 1010.2 hPa, temperature 14C, dewpoint 13C, rel. humidity 94%, wind speed 1m/s, visibility 100m in fog.

CONCLUSION
(translated from Russian): The crash of aircraft An-12 RA-93912 occurred as a result of severe banking and the subsequent collision of the airplane with terrain as a result of a decrease in the airspeed with two feathered engines on the right wing (ca 250-260km/h). The deflection of the rudder and ailerons was insufficient for countering the turn and bank. A decrease in the velocity of the flight of aircraft to the critical value was caused by the deficiency in the available thrust of the two engines (No. 1 and 2) developing takeoff power and by the slipping attitude when the crew attempted to maintain level flight after a practically simultaneous engine No. 3 and 4 cutoff at a height of 70-75m and a speed of about 295 km/h as a result of a collision with birds.
(Source: www.aviation-safety.net)

COMMENTS
According to Italian regulations, an impact at 220 ft. should be charged, for statistical purposes, to the airport, and not to the fatality of an en-route event.
Unfortunately we don’t have any information about the bird species involved, as well as about the prevention means in use, then and now, at Domodedovo airport.
Even today no information is available in the airport website. Domodedovo is an international commercial airport with million passengers every year.