Stavropolskaya Aktsionernaya Avia Flight 1023 · Cherkessk

On March 18, 1997, Stavropolskaya Aktsionernaya Avia Flight 1023 (Cherkessk). 50 people died.

Date

March 18, 1997

Place

Cherkessk

Operator

Stavropolskaya Aktsionernaya Avia

Killed

50

Position

44.217°N, 42.050°E

Wikidata ID

Q7604846

From Wikipedia

Stavropolskaya Aktsionernaya Avia Flight 1023 was an international charter flight between Stavropol in southern Russia and Trabzon in Turkey operated by the Russian airline Stavropolskaya Aktsionernaya Avia (SAAK). On 18 March 1997, while cruising at 6,000 metres (20,000 ft), the Antonov An-24 operating the flight suffered a catastrophic structural failure, in which its tailplane separated in mid-flight. The aircraft then disintegrated and crashed into a forest, killing all 50 passengers and crew on board.

The final report concluded that the crash was caused by improper maintenance by the airline and lack of oversight on the proper maintenance procedures. The aircraft had been brought back from multiple flights in Africa and corrosions had appeared under the aircraft's lavatory. The ground crew had not properly maintained the aircraft, causing the cracks to form and widen, that eventually travelled through the entire tailplane and caused the tail to separate.

Text from Wikipedia, “Stavropolskaya Aktsionernaya Avia Flight 1023”, CC BY-SA 4.0; shortened to the introduction. Authors.

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Source: Wikidata (CC0) and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Figures such as deaths are as recorded there and may differ from official reports.