Yakovlev Yak-40 crash, Nov 7, 1991 (51 killed), Makhachkala
Yakovlev Yak-40 accident on November 7, 1991 near Makhachkala, Republic of Dagestan, Russia with 51 fatalities. Cause: Controlled flight into terrain...
- Date: November 7, 1991
- Aircraft: Yakovlev Yak-40
- Location: Makhachkala, Republic of Dagestan, Russia
- Fatalities: 51
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: Controlled flight into terrain during a descent in low cloud, after inaccurate ATC instructions led the crew onto a wrong approach path below the minimum safe altitude.
A Yugavia Yak-40 flying the scheduled Elista to Makhachkala service descended in poor weather and struck the slope of Mount Kukurtbash about 23 km from Makhachkala-Uytash airport. The crew had been following a wrong approach path after inaccurate ATC instructions and did not realise how low the aircraft was. The aircraft broke up on impact and all 51 people on board died. Reports also say the flight departed overloaded beyond its maximum take-off weight.