Yakovlev Yak-40 crash, May 15, 1997 (6 killed), Gyandzha
Yakovlev Yak-40 accident on May 15, 1997 near Gyandzha, Ganja-Gazakh, Azerbaijan with 6 fatalities. Cause: Attributed to ground gunfire that punctured...
- Date: May 15, 1997
- Aircraft: Yakovlev Yak-40
- Location: Gyandzha, Ganja-Gazakh, Azerbaijan
- Fatalities: 6
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: Attributed to ground gunfire that punctured oxygen cylinders, causing a fire and affecting the pilots; no official report was reviewed.
A Yak-40 on a local training flight at Gyandzha had completed several circuits when it nosed down steeply and crashed short of the runway. The aircraft disintegrated and all six crew died. Secondary sources attribute the loss of control to bullets fired from the ground that hit oxygen cylinders.