Aviogenex Flight 130

Aviogenex Flight 130

An Aviogenex Tu-134, similar to that involved in the accident.
Accident summary
Date	23 May 1971 (1971-05-23)
Summary	Pilot error
Passengers	76
Crew	7
Fatalities	78
Survivors	5
Aircraft type	Tupolev Tu-134A
Operator	Aviogenex
Registration	YU-AHZ
Flight origin	Gatwick Airport, London
Destination	Rijeka Airport, Rijeka

Aviogenex Flight 130 was an international charter passenger flight from Gatwick Airport, London, to Rijeka Airport in Croatia (then part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). On 23 May 1971 Tupolev Tu-134A, the aircraft servicing the flight, crashed while landing at Rijeka Airport, killing 78 people on board. The crash became the first accident of Tupolev Tu-134 since entering regular service.^[1]

The aircraft had a serial number 1351205 and a total of 111 airframe hours at the time of the crash.^[2] Flight 130 transported British tourists who were traveling on holiday.^[3]

Crash

The aircraft took off from Gatwick at 16:33 GMT. The flight proceeded normally until approach to Rijeka Airport. The crew followed the ILS with a slightly increased speed.^[3] Four kilometers from the runway threshold, at an altitude of about 300 metres (980 ft) above the sea level, the aircraft entered into torrential rain.^[3] The crew instantly activated the windscreen wipers.^[3] Fifty seconds before the touchdown the aircraft was lifted upwards and rolled to the right.^[3] Due to challenging conditions the crew could not return to ILS approach, but managed to align the aircraft with the runway.^[3] However, the aircraft was above the glide path while the crew was trying to reduce speed by elevator and reducing thrust.^[3] At a distance of 800 m from the runway the power was reduced to idle and the elevator was put down.^[3] The aircraft then entered into a gradually steeping angle of descent.^[3] Due to an optical illusion the crew thought they were closer to the runway and at a greater altitude than the actual one.^[3] The aircraft landed at a speed of 140 knots (260 km/h) and then the right wing broke. The aircraft turned over, with an ensued fire in which the passengers and the aircraft itself burned out.^[3]

All four crew members in the cockpit survived, but of the 76 passengers there was only one survivor, Ranko Sarajcic.^[4][5]

Investigation

The accident was investigated by the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch. After 2 years and 6 months a report was released on 1 December 1973.

References