Fatal Barrel Roll

On May 17, 1986, an Aeroflot Yakovlev Yak-40 was preparing for takeoff from Khanty-Mansiysk Airport for a test flight following repairs to the nose landing gear. The five crew members had not been properly prepared for the flight, as they were called in at the last minute.

The Yak-40 departed the airport for a routine circuit and planned landing. Once it reached an altitude of 6,000 meters, the crew requested permission to remain at that altitude for five minutes to complete their assignment. While maintaining a speed of 390 km/h and steady engine power, the aircraft performed several steep turns with bank angles up to 60 degrees. During the exit from a left turn, the pilot pulled back on the control column, raising the nose and reducing speed to 360 km/h.

Fourteen seconds later, the crew began a barrel roll - an aerobatic maneuver where the aircraft rolls around its longitudinal axis. However, the control column remained pulled back throughout the roll. As a result, eight seconds into the maneuver, the aircraft, now inverted, dropped its nose and began to lose altitude. When the speed reached 470 km/h, the crew reduced thrust on all three engines and stopped the rotation. At this point, the Yak-40 was descending at 100 meters per second, and the pilots tried to level the aircraft.

At an altitude of 4,500 meters and speed of 620 km/h, the vertical load reached 5.25 g - about 1.5 times higher than the maximum allowed (3.4 g). At that moment, a section of the left wing broke off, struck the vertical stabilizer, and tore it off along with the horizontal stabilizers and both rudders. The Yak-40 lost all control and entered a chaotic spin. Due to extreme loads, the flaps and parts of the right wing skin also detached. The aircraft ultimately crashed and was completely destroyed. Everyone on board was killed.

According to the investigation, the crash was caused by severe violations by the crew, who performed prohibited maneuvers during the test flight. Additionally, the airline's command staff committed gross violations in organizing the flight. The commission also noted poor discipline, lack of proper oversight, and inadequate control of test flights within the Khanty-Mansiysk aviation unit.