Aeroflot Flight 141 (1973)

Aeroflot Flight 141 (1973)

File:Tupolev Tu-154S, Aeroflot AN1096894.jpg An Aeroflot Tu-154 similar to the aircraft involved
Accident summary
Date	February 19, 1973 (1973-02-19)
Summary	Undetermined
Site	0.5 km from Prague Ruzyně Airport
Passengers	87
Crew	13
Fatalities	66
Survivors	34
Aircraft type	Tupolev Tu-154
Operator	Aeroflot/International
Registration	CCCP-85023
Flight origin	Sheremetyevo Airport
Destination	Prague Ruzyně Airport

Aeroflot Flight 141 was an international flight from Moscow to Prague. On February 19, 1973, the Tupolev Tu-154 crashed half a kilometer short of runway 25 (today's 24) of Prague Ruzyně Airport. Most of the passengers survived the crash but many died in the fire that followed. Altogether 66 people died out of 100 passengers and crew members. The crash was the first loss of and first fatal accident involving the Tu-154.

The cause of the incident was not officially determined. One theory stated wind shear, another was that the pilots wrongly set a horizontal stabilizer. The investigation of the accident also showed that controlling of the stabilizers was complicated. This was solved when Tu-154 aircraft were modernized to Tu-154A.