1957 Kiev mid-air collision

The 1957 Kiev mid-air collision occurred on 17 August 1957 when two Ilyushin Il-14s collided over Kiev, killing 15 people, including nine on both aircraft.

Aircraft

СССР-Л1360 was a seven-month old Ilyushin Il-14G with factory number 147001432 and serial number 14-32. It had logged 157 flight hours. The Il-14 was being used in a training flight when the accident happened.
СССР-Л2071 was a seven-month old Ilyushin Il-14M. By the time of the accident, it had 833 flight hours. It operated a cargo service as Aeroflot Flight 126 from Sofia to Kiev, transporting the luggage of Chinese athletes.

Accident

At 19:45, Flight 126 entered the Kiev-Zhulyany area at. The crew contacted air traffic control and was instructed to approach the airport in a small circle. At the same time, СССР-Л1360 took off at approximately 19:54.
At 20:02, while Flight 126 was making a turn, the two aircraft collided at about. The propeller of the Il-14M struck СССР-Л1360's right wing. The propellers went into the Il-14M's cockpit, cutting it off and killing the pilots. Both aircraft dived into the ground and crashed into several houses from the airport.
All nine on board both aircraft along with six people on the ground were killed in the disaster. A further 23 were injured, 12 of them seriously.

Investigation

The investigation determined the cause to be primarily ATC error, specifically the guidance and assistance of the air traffic controller at Kiev-Zhulyany Airport. Aeroflot Flight 126 was not told about the presence of another Il-14 performing training manoeuvres in the area. The crew members on both aircraft's lack of caution also contributed to the disaster.

Aftermath

A memorial for the collision was installed by the son of pilot-in-command Sandler L. M. at their burial site.