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Sivash Air Disaster (An-24 Crash, 1978)

On October 23, 1978, an Antonov An-24 passenger aircraft (Flight 6515 Stavropol–Lviv) crashed into the Sivash near the village of Omelyanivka; 26 people were killed, with no survivors.

Overview

On October 23, 1978, an An-24 passenger plane (Flight 6515 Stavropol–Lviv with stopovers in Simferopol and Chisinau) crashed into the Sivash near the village of Omelyanivka, killing all 26 onboard. The cause was determined to be the crew's failure to activate the engine air intake anti-icing system in a timely manner, which led to engine failure in dense cloud cover.

Key Details / Subtopics

  • Flight 6515: the An-24 passenger aircraft was en route from Stavropol to Lviv with intermediate stops in Simferopol and Chisinau; its route passed over Crimea.
  • Departure: the aircraft took off from Stavropol on October 23, 1978, at 18:00; over the Stavropol and Krasnodar regions, the flight proceeded without incident.
  • Overcast Clouds and Icing: as it approached the Kerch Peninsula, the aircraft entered dense overcast clouds that could not be bypassed; severe icing was recorded.
  • Engine Failure: at 19:40, the left engine failed, followed 3 seconds later by the right engine; the plane became virtually unmanageable.
  • Gliding Attempt: several suitable runways were nearby — military airfields Bagerove, Kirovske, Dzhankoy, and Hvardiyske — but landing the aircraft in glide mode proved impossible.
  • Crash into the Sivash: the aircraft crashed at a 50° angle at high speed into the Sivash near the village of Omelyanivka in the Nyzhnohirskyi District; all 26 people (crew and passengers) were killed, with no survivors.