| Date of Accident: | 23 March 1994 |  |
| Airline: | Aeroflot |  |
| Aircraft: | Airbus A310-304 | |
| Location: | Mezhdurechensk, Russia | |
| Registration: | F-OGQS | |
| Previous Registrations: | --- | |
| Flight Number: | 593 | |
| Fatalities: | 75:75 | |
| MSN: | 596 | |
| Line Number: | --- | |
| Engine Manufacturer: | General Electric | |
| Engine Model: | CF6-80C2A8 | |
| Year of Delivery: | 1991 | |
| Accident Description: | The aircraft, on a flight from Moscow to Hong Kong, was approaching the Novokuznetsk reporting point at FL330 when the Captain's daughter entered the cockpit. She was allowed to sit the left-hand seat while the captain demonstrated some autopilot features, using HDG/S and NAV submodes to alter the heading. The Captain's son then took the left front seat. The captain intended to demonstrate the same maneuver when his son asked if he could turn the control wheel. He turned the wheel slightly (applying a force of between 8-10kg) and held it in that position for a few seconds before returning the wheel to the neutral position. The captain then demonstrated the same features as he did to his daughter and ended by using the NAV submode to bring the aircraft back on course. As the autopilot attempted to level the aircraft at its programmed heading, it came in conflict with the inputs from the control wheel which was blocked in a neutral position. Forces on the control wheel increased to 12-13kg until the torque limiter activated by disconnecting the autopilot servo from the aileron control linkage. The autopilot remained engaged however. The aircraft then started to bank to the right at 2.5°/sec, reaching 45°, when the autopilot wasn't able to maintain altitude. The aircraft started buffeting, which caught the attention of the Captain who told the co-pilot to take control while he was trying to regain his seat. The seat of the co-pilot was fully aft, so it took him an additional 2-3 seconds to get to the control wheel. The bank continued to 90°, the aircraft pitched up steeply with +4.8g accelerations, stalled and entered a spin. Two minutes and six seconds later the aircraft struck the ground. |
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| Related Links/Information: | Accident Photos - AirDisaster.Com Photo Database
Airbus A310 F-OGQS. Photo Copyright: Luke Macridis
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