Aerosvit Flight 241
Encyclopedia
Aerosvit Flight 241 was a scheduled passenger flight from Kiev
which crashed during a missed approach into Thessaloniki
in Greece
.
. The first sector of the flight from Kiev
-Odessa
was operated by the Boeing 737 but due to engine issues the aircraft was swapped for a Yakovlev Yak-42
. The flight continued onwards towards Thessaloniki
. As Flight 241 made its approach to the airport, the flight missed the ILS
approach and had to perform a go around. The crew were told to head North and hold for a second attempt. The crew failed to do the published missed ILS approach procedure and headed West-Southwest, flying into the side of Mount Pieria at 3300 feet. The crash killed all 70 passengers and crew.
On 20 December 1997, the wreckage was found, a whole 3 days after the initial accident.
A Lockheed Hercules operated by the Greek Air Force, participating in the search for Flight 241, crashed near Athens
, Greece
; killing all 5 crew members.
, registration UR-42334. The aircraft first flew in 1986.
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
which crashed during a missed approach into Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
The flight and accident
Aerosvit Flight 241 was originally scheduled to be operated by a Boeing 737Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
. The first sector of the flight from Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
-Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
was operated by the Boeing 737 but due to engine issues the aircraft was swapped for a Yakovlev Yak-42
Yakovlev Yak-42
The Yakovlev Yak-42 is a 100/120-seat three-engined mid-range passenger jet. It was designed as a replacement for several obsolete Aeroflot jets as a mid-range passenger jet...
. The flight continued onwards towards Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
. As Flight 241 made its approach to the airport, the flight missed the ILS
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
approach and had to perform a go around. The crew were told to head North and hold for a second attempt. The crew failed to do the published missed ILS approach procedure and headed West-Southwest, flying into the side of Mount Pieria at 3300 feet. The crash killed all 70 passengers and crew.
Rescue search
A search party was formed when the flight went missing. The Greek Air Force helped out in the search for the wreckage.On 20 December 1997, the wreckage was found, a whole 3 days after the initial accident.
A Lockheed Hercules operated by the Greek Air Force, participating in the search for Flight 241, crashed near Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
; killing all 5 crew members.
The aircraft
The flight was operated by a Yakovlev Yak-42Yakovlev Yak-42
The Yakovlev Yak-42 is a 100/120-seat three-engined mid-range passenger jet. It was designed as a replacement for several obsolete Aeroflot jets as a mid-range passenger jet...
, registration UR-42334. The aircraft first flew in 1986.
Victims
| Nationality | Passengers | Crew | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 0 | 34 | |
| 24 | 8 | 32 | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 61 | 8 | 69 |