UTair Flight 471

The aircraft was a Tupolev Tu-134 passenger aircraft, operated by UTair. On the day of the accident the aircraft was thought to be carrying 50 passengers and seven crew.{{cite news |title=5 Dead, Dozens Wounded as Russian Aircraft Collapses at Landing |publisher=MosNews |date=2007-03-17 }} It was flying as a domestic passenger carrier based in Surgut Airport, serving Surgut, Siberia and Belgorod, with a scheduled stop in Samara.{{cite news|title=Plane Crashes On Landing |url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1256296,00.html |publisher=Sky News |date=2007-03-17 |access-date=2007-03-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070320110004/http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1256296,00.html |archive-date=March 20, 2007 }}

The aircraft was landing at Samara Kurumoch Airport, when it touched down about {{convert|400|m|ft yd}} short of a runway in heavy fog, bouncing and flipping over.[http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/World/2007/03/18/3775677-sun.html Pilot blamed as 6 die in Russian plane crash] {{dead link|date=November 2013}}{{Cite web |url=http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=nation_world&id=5131973 |title=Russian Jet Crashes Short of Runway, Kills 6 |access-date=2007-03-18 |archive-date=2007-03-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070321190608/http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=nation_world&id=5131973 |url-status=dead }} Six people were killed and 26 injured. The accident occurred at about 10:45 a.m. local time (06:45 GMT).[http://washingtontimes.com/upi/20070317-064242-7853r Five dead in Russian jet crash] - United Press International - The Washington Times - Obtained March 17, 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606112029/http://washingtontimes.com/upi/20070317-064242-7853r |date=June 6, 2011 }} The aircraft did not catch fire after the accident.[https://web.archive.org/web/20180502211418/https://www.skynews.com.au/story.asp?id=159569 Russia plane crash] - Sky News - Obtained March 17, 2007.

At least 23 people were hospitalized in facilities in Samara and nearby Tolyatti, six of whom were in serious condition.{{cn|date=May 2023}} Six people were trapped in the wreckage for a total of three hours before being cut free by rescue crews.[http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/91427587-FB6F-46D4-B3EA-B440F0E33AEA.htm Seven die in Russian air crash] - Al Jazeera English - Obtained March 17, 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070320013912/http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/91427587-FB6F-46D4-B3EA-B440F0E33AEA.htm |date=March 20, 2007 }} 23 more people were not injured but received psychological treatment at the airport.

According to transport officials and prosecutors a full investigation was launched by the relevant authorities.[http://www.570news.com/news/international/article.jsp?content=w031711A Passenger jet crash landing in central Russia kills 7 people] {{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20070519001246/http://www.570news.com/news/international/article.jsp?content=w031711A |date=May 19, 2007 }} - 570news.com - Obtained March 17, 2007. Investigators state that they recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder on the day of the accident and studied them to determine the cause of the accident. Prosecutors investigating the crash in Samara said bad weather and pilot error were the most likely causes.

Initial analysis of the flight data recorder suggests the aircraft was not experiencing any obvious technical malfunction before the accident. Russia's interstate aviation committee MAK states a preliminary assessment shows both engines were operating up to the point of impact. The aircraft was in landing configuration, with the undercarriage lowered and the flaps positioned at 30 degrees, and did not suffer fire or other damage while airborne.Flight International 27 March 2007

According to the findings of the official MAK investigation,[http://www.mak.ru/russian/investigations/2007/65021/Ty-134_17-03-2007.pdf MAK investigation conclusion (Russian)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124183146/http://www.mak.ru/russian/investigations/2007/65021/Ty-134_17-03-2007.pdf |date=2011-01-24 }} the crash can be blamed on both the airport services, which did not inform the pilot about the reduced visibility in time due to organizational problems, and on the pilot, who did not give the dispatcher the correct information about his landing trajectory and, consequently, did not decide to stop the landing procedure and try to take another approach at the time he should have done so.

Within hours of the crash, UTair issued a statement saying that the aircraft had been in good technical condition and that foggy weather was likely to have caused the accident.{{cn|date=May 2023}} The company also said the crew was well-skilled and had long experience.{{cn|date=May 2023}} They also decided to pay out US$75,000 to the families of each deceased person.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

The captain and co-pilot of the aircraft were both tried at a regional court in Samara on charges of negligence causing the deaths of two or more people. The captain was sentenced to six years imprisonment and the co-pilot to two years imprisonment. The sentences were suspended.{{cite web|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/03/01/338928/utair-pilots-sentenced-over-fatal-samara-tu-134-crash.html |title=UTAir pilots sentenced over fatal Samara Tu-134 crash |publisher=Flight Global |access-date=5 March 2010}}

• List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft

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• [http://www.aerotransport.org/php/go.php?query=airframes&qstring=Tu-134+msn+48390&q=RA-65021&where=t2.type_id%3D3225001+and+pl.cn%3D48390.00&orderby=1 Aircraft ownership history]
• [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=RA-65021&distinct_entry=true Pre-accident photos of the aircraft]

{{Tupolev Tu-16 family}}

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{{Aviation accidents and incidents in Russia in the 2000s}}

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Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Russia in 2007

Category:Accidents and incidents involving the Tupolev Tu-134

Category:Airliner accidents and incidents involving fog

Category:2007 disasters in Russia

Category:March 2007 in Russia