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Status Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date Thursday 7 December 1995
Time 03:08
Type Silhouette image of generic T154 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Tupolev Tu-154B
Operator Khabarovsk United Air
Registration RA-85164
MSN 76A164
Year of manufature 1976
Engines Kuznetsov NK-8-2U
Crew Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Passengers Fatalities: 90 / Occupants: 90
Total occupants Fatalities: 98 / Occupants: 98
Aircraft damage Destroyed, written off
Aircraft fate w/o
Location 50 km W of Grossevichi   Russia
Phase En route
Nature Passenger - Scheduled
Departure Airport Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport (UUS/UHSS)
Destination Airport Khabarovsk-Novy Airport (KHV/UHHH)
Narrative Khabarovsk United Air flight 3949, a Tupolev Tu-154, crashed near Grossevichi, Russia, following an in-flight loss of control, killing all 98 occupants.

The Tupolev Tu-154B entered a steep spiral dive while en route to Khabarovsk and impacted Mount Bo-Jaus, Russia, killing all 98 on board.
The aircraft operated on Khabarovsk United Air flight 3949. It took off from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport at 02:43 hours local time and climbed to the cruising altitude of 10600 meters. Shortly after 03:00 hours the aircraft suddenly banked right and entered a steep spiral dive. The flight crew was not able to regain control and the aircraft impacted terrain.
The wreckage was found 11 days later.

PROBABLE CAUSE: Fuel-feed selected from wing tanks on the left side only. This was done to counteract the tendency to fly left-wing low. The fuel imbalance caused the aircraft to bank to the right during the flight. The autopilot was able to counteract this bank until 35 minutes after take-off.

sources

Flight International 14-30 April 1996 (12)
Flight International 7-13 February 1996 (8)
Flight International 20 December 95-2 January 1996 (7)
ICAO Adrep Summary 4/96 (#39)