1985 Zolochiv mid-air collision

Aeroflot Flight 8381

Accident
Date	3 May 1985
Summary	Mid-air collision involving ATC errors
Site	near Zolochiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Total fatalities	94
Total survivors	0
First aircraft
A Tu-134 similar to the one that crashed
Type	Tupolev Tu-134
Operator	Aeroflot
Registration	CCCP-65856
Flight origin	Tallinn Airport, Estonian SSR, Soviet Union
Stopover	Lviv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Destination	Chişinău, Moldavian SSR, Soviet Union
Passengers	73
Crew	6
Fatalities	79
Survivors	0
Second aircraft
An Antonov An-26 similar to the one that crashed.
Type	Antonov An-26
Operator	Soviet Air Force
Registration	SSSR-26492 (101 red)
Passengers	9
Crew	6
Fatalities	15
Survivors	0

Aeroflot Flight 8381 was a scheduled flight of a twin-engine Tupolev Tu-134 that departed Tallinn Airport in Estonian SSR, Soviet Union, at 10:38 am on 3 May 1985, for Chişinău in Moldavian SSR, Soviet Union making a stopover at Lviv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union. While descending to Lviv in overcast weather, it collided at 12:13 with a Soviet Air Force Antonov An-26 (callsign SSSR-26492, Russian: СССР-26492) that had just taken off from Lviv. The collision occurred at an altitude of 13,000 feet (4,000 m) (flight level 130). Both aircraft lost their right wings and tails, went out of control and crashed about one or two minutes later near the village of Zolochiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, killing all 94 people on both aircraft.

Civil and military air traffic controllers mislocated both aircraft involved, leading to violations of air traffic control rules. Among the victims of the disaster were graphics artist Alexander Aksinin, the young Estonian table-tennis player Alari Lindmäe (born 15 September 1967) and two generals of the Soviet Army. The captain of the Aeroflot aircraft, Nikolai Dmitrijev (born 18 October 1931), was a Hero of Socialist Labor and one of the Soviet Union's most decorated civil airline pilots.

External links

• Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network