Tupolev 124 ditching in Neva River

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Tupolev 124 ditching in Neva river
Summary
Date August 21, 1963
Type Fuel exhaustion
Site Leningrad, Soviet Union
Passengers 45
Crew 7
Injuries 0
Fatalities 0
Survivors 52 (All)
Aircraft type Tupolev Tu-124
Operator Aeroflot
Tail number СССР-45021

The Tupolev 124 ditching in Neva River was a notable case of water landing that occurred in the Soviet Union in 1963. It remains one of 7 documented intentional water ditchings of passenger planes [1] (There have been survivors for all attempts).

A Tupolev Tu-124 of Soviet state airline Aeroflot (Moscow division) took off from Tallinn-Ulemiste Airport (TLL) at 08:55 on August 21, 1963 with 45 passengers and 7 crew on board. The aircraft (registration number СCСР-45021) was built in 1962 and was scheduled to fly to Moscow under command of 27 year-old captain Vladimir Mostovoy. After the liftoff it appeared the undercarriage (forward wheels under the cockpit) didn't retract. By decision of the ground control the flight diverted to Leningrad (because of fog at Tallinn) at low altitude.

At 10:00 the aircraft started to circle the city at 1650 feet with objective of spending the fuel to decrease risk of fire in event of forced landing. The ground services at Pulkovo Airport (LED) were preparing the dirt runway for the forced landing. Each loop in the airspace around the city took the aircraft approximately 15 minutes. During this time the crew attempted to force the nose gear to lock into the fully extended position by pushing it with a pole (having taken a pole used for hangers in the cloak compartment closet).

When participating in a show aired on Russian television (in the late 1990s, more than 35 years after the events) the co-pilot speculated that preoccupation with the nose gear might have lead the crew to miss the moment when the remaining fuel became insufficient for flight to Pulkovo and safe descent. The eighth and last loop was started at 12:10 when, at 13 miles from the airport, the no. 1 engine was starved of fuel and ceased to function. The remaining engine ceased shortly thereafter when the aircraft was above the city center going over the St. Isaac's Cathedral and Admiralty in eastern direction. Upon loss of both engines it occurred to the captain and co-pilot that the only hope was to ditch the craft in the 300-metre wide Neva River.

By account of eyewitnesses, the airplane descended along the river (going in upstream direction) and passing Liteyny Bridge at less than 300 feet altitude. Immediately after the turn the craft glided over the high steel structures of Bolsheokhtinsky Bridge with approximately 100 feet of clearance. Tu-124 flew right over consructing Alexander Nevsky Bridge barely touching it and managed to complete the ditching onto the river surface almost hitting a tugboat at the last moment.

The duration of the descent was estimated to be less than 30 seconds. Eyewitness' accounts and memories of the aircraft's crew agree that the tugboat which escaped the crash approached the floating aircraft's cockpit without missing a single moment and then immediately started towing it ashore. All passengers remained on board as the floating aircraft was moved to shallow waters and evacuated the cabin passing to the boat through the windows of cockpit that started flooding.

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