| Occurrence Type: | Accident |
| Date: | 15 August 1975 |
| Summary: | Downdraft during approach |
| Site: | 4 km south of Krasnovodsk Airport, Krasnovodsk, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union |
| Aircraft Type: | Yakovlev Yak-40 |
| Operator: | Aeroflot |
| Tail Number: | CCCP-87323 |
| Origin: | Baku-Bina International Airport, Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union |
| Destination: | Krasnovodsk Airport, Krasnovodsk, Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union |
| Passengers: | 34 |
| Crew: | 4 |
| Fatalities: | 23 |
| Survivors: | 15 |
Aeroflot Flight A-53 was a commercial flight from Baku to Krasnovodsk. It crashed on approach due to poor weather. It is the second deadliest plane crash in Turkmenistan, behind Aeroflot Flight 112. [1]
At 21:37 Moscow time the crew made contact with approach control which authorized a descent from 4500m (14,800feet). By 21:54 the aircraft had descended to 500m (1,600feet) and the crew was informed of rough weather. At an altitude of 300m (1,000feet) the plane was in a headwind with flaps extended at 35° and engines below maximum thrust causing the speed to fall from 260 km/h (140 kn) to 210-200 km/h (110 kn) and the descent rate to increase. Thrust was increased but the descent continued due to a downdraft. The plane entered a left bank of 40° and hit a rocky cliff, tearing off the right wing and engine. It then bounced before crashing and catching fire.[1] [2] [3] [4]
The plane entered a downdraft which caused a loss of speed and altitude. This was made possible by a lack of knowledge on part of the meteorologist and the absence of a system that could have detected this phenomenon. The crew's inexperience also contributed to the accident.[3] [4]