1941 Alma-Ata G-2 crash

1941 Alma-Ata G-2 crash

Tupolev TB-3 — G-2 prototype
Accident
Date	26 December 1941 (1941-12-26)
Site	6 km from Dmitrievka (Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union)
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Tupolev G-2
Operator	Aeroflot (Kazakh Territorial Directorate of Civil Air Fleet)
Registration	USSR-Л3043
Flight origin	Alma-Ata Airport
Occupants	34
Fatalities	26
Survivors	8

G-2 Crash near Alma-Ata was an aviation accident involving a G-2 aircraft (a cargo-passenger version of the ANT-6) operated by Aeroflot near Alma-Ata on 26 December 1941. The crash resulted in the deaths of 26 people, including several leaders of the Kazakh SSR. This was the first documented air disaster on the territory of Kazakhstan.

Aircraft

The G-2 was a cargo-passenger version of the civilian four-engine aircraft ANT-6, which in turn had been created by modifying the bomber Tupolev TB-3 under the leadership of Andrei Tupolev. The G-2 aircraft, tail number USSR-L3043 (serial number 22182), was built in 1939 and was soon transferred to the Kazakh Territorial Directorate of the Civil Air Fleet.

Crash

The aircraft was supposed to carry two teams from the Central Committee on a mission to the Akmola and Kustanay regions. It was piloted by the second-class pilot and aircraft commander A.I. Solovyev (flight time 4,256 hours, including 177 hours on the G-2) and the co-pilot G.S. Tupchy, who was assigned to this flight by the authorities despite having no flight experience on the G-2, and thus sat in the cockpit as a passenger. A total of 34 people were on board, with 3,200 kilograms of fuel in the tanks. The takeoff weight was exceeded by approximately one ton.

According to the weather forecast provided, fog was expected to start near Bakanas, but in reality, the fog began in the vicinity of Alma-Ata. However, the head of the Civil Air Fleet Directorate A.Ya. Gatushkin decided to proceed with the takeoff. The airport manager, V.A. Kudinov, was negligent in not insisting on canceling the flight.

After taking off from the airport, the aircraft initially flew at an altitude of 100–150 meters, with strong turbulence being noted by the surviving passengers. The crew then began a left turn. At that moment, the aircraft started losing altitude, then touched the ground with the left wingtip, and crashed. The more than two tons of fuel in the tanks ignited, causing a fire that destroyed the aircraft. Only eight passengers seated in the tail section, who were thrown out during the impact, survived. All other 26 people, including both pilots, perished.

Notable passengers

Source:

• Klimentev, Ivan Semenovich — First Deputy Chairman of the SNK of the Kazakh SSR, candidate member of the Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan.
• Buzurbaev, Gabdulla Urazbaevich — Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan;
• Baimanov, Kaldybay — Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR;
• A. Kadirbekov — People's Commissar of State Farms;
• D.V. Popov — People's Commissar of Road Transport;
• N.A. Tabunov and I. Dosanov — instructors of the Central Committee;
• F.I. Dedus — lecturer at the Central Committee;
• E.O. Nechay — Deputy People's Commissar of the Meat and Dairy Industry;
• A.V. Naryshkin — Deputy Chairman of the Karaganda Oblast Executive Committee;
• Zharmagambetov — Secretary of the Akmola Regional Committee of the Komsomol.

Investigation

As concluded by the technical examination, the aircraft was fully operational before it struck the ground, although it was overloaded by nearly a ton. It was also noted that the aircraft commander, Solovyev, lacked the necessary experience flying in heavy fog ("blind"), using instruments, while the co-pilot, Tupchy, had no experience flying this type of aircraft at all. Another contributing factor was the inaccurate weather forecast along the flight route. The primary person held responsible for the crash was the head of the Civil Air Fleet Directorate, Gatushkin, who personally prepared and dispatched the crew, although he was not authorized to do so. The manager of Alma-Ata Airport, Kudinov, was also blamed for not insisting on the flight's cancellation. As for the senior dispatcher, F.S. Listovnichy, it was unclear why he was allowed to work since he was on leave due to health reasons after returning from the front.

From the commission's conclusions on 30 December 1941:

1. Agree with the commission's conclusions regarding the causes of the G-2 aircraft crash on 26 December 1941.
2. Dismiss the head of the Kazakh Directorate of the Civil Air Fleet, Gatushkin, and the dispatcher of Alma-Ata Airport, Listovnichy, for allowing the G-2 aircraft to depart from the airfield in obviously non-flying weather and for criminal negligence in crew selection.
3. Take note of the statement by the People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of the Kazakh SSR, Comrade Babkin, that the specific culprit of the crash, Gatushkin, was arrested and is under investigation.

Aftermath

By the decision of the Collegium of the Supreme Court of the Kazakh SSR in August 1942, the head of the Civil Air Fleet Directorate A.Ya. Gatushkin and the airport manager V.A. Kudinov were sentenced to imprisonment for 10 and 6 years, respectively, with Gatushkin being expelled from the party CPSU. However, in December of that year, the Supreme Court of the Soviet Union acquitted them, and Gatushkin was later reinstated in the party. Senior dispatcher F.S. Listovnichy received a strict reprimand with a warning from the party.

The families of the victims received one-time allowances and were granted pensions. The victims of the crash were buried on 28 December in a mass grave at the Central Cemetery in Alma-Ata. Later, the grave was enclosed with a cast iron fence and a monument was erected.