The 1933 Tupolev ANT-7 Podolsk crash was an aviation accident that occurred south of Podolsk, Moscow Oblast, Soviet Union, on Tuesday, 5 September 1933. A converted Tupolev ANT-7 aircraft crashed, killing all eight people on board, including prominent figures in the Soviet aviation and civil aviation sectors. The incident attracted widespread attention and subsequently led to a comprehensive reorganisation of air transport in the Soviet Union.
The ANT-7 involved in the incident was produced in July 1933 at the Moscow Aviation Plant No. 22 by converting a Tupolev R-6 reconnaissance aircraft. At the time, the R-6 was considered outdated and was gradually being retired from service. Some were converted into more comfortable passenger variants, designated ANT-7, and in some sources referred to as the R-6L ("limousine"). These modifications were reportedly supported by the head of the Main Directorate of the Aviation Industry, Pyotr Ionovich Baranov.[citation needed]
Only one example of this particular converted aircraft was produced. All armament was removed, and the fuselage was modified to accommodate eight passenger seats (with some sources indicating a capacity of seven). The cockpit was fitted with glazing, but equipment for blind flying at night or in poor weather was not installed. A test flight of the converted aircraft, conducted near the plant's airfield, reportedly yielded positive results.[1]
Crash
In early September 1933, the Moscow Aviation Plant No. 22 received an unexpected order to install fuel tanks on the ANT-7. The aircraft was scheduled to perform a long-distance flight to Crimea to transport representatives of the Soviet aviation and civil aviation sectors for the opening of a new aviation plant in Sevastopol.[citation needed]
According to the daughter of A. Z. Goltsman, the order to fly to Crimea, delivered by a military courier, was personally issued by Joseph Stalin. Whether the crash was the result of an accident or deliberate action remains unknown. The aircraft carried two crew members and six passengers:[1]
V. A. Zarzar — Member of the Presidium of the State Planning Committee of the USSR
Weather conditions on the day of the flight were poor, but Baranov reportedly insisted on departure. At 09:00 on 5 September 1933, the ANT-7 took off from Moscow. Approximately 20 minutes later, near Podolsk, the low-flying aircraft struck the wire of an amateur radio antenna stretched between tall poles with its undercarriage. Losing speed, the left wing's aileron then hit the top of a tall white willow tree, causing the wing section to detach. The aircraft lost control, crashed into the ground, and was completely destroyed. All eight occupants were killed.[1]
On 5 September, at 9:20 a.m., south of Podolsk near the Lopasnya station, the following individuals were killed in an aircraft crash: Deputy Commissar of Heavy Industry and Head of the Main Directorate of the Aviation Industry, Comrade Pyotr Ionovich Baranov; Head of the Main Directorate of the Civil Air Fleet, Comrade A. Z. Goltsman; Director of Plant No. 22, Comrade S. P. Gorbunov; Deputy Head of the Main Directorate of the Civil Air Fleet, Comrade A. V. Petrov; Member of the Presidium of the State Planning Committee of the USSR, Comrade V. A. Zarzar; Chief Pilot, Comrade I. M. Dorfman; Flight Mechanic, Comrade N. E. Plotnikov; and Comrade B. M. Baranova. The government granted personal pensions to the families of the deceased.
The accident closely resembled an earlier crash near Naro-Fominsk two years prior, in which an aircraft flying in foggy conditions at low altitude struck trees and subsequently crashed. Several explanations were proposed for why pilot I. M. Dorfman was flying at such a low height. Some accounts suggested that Dorfman lacked sufficient experience for his position as chief pilot, while others claimed that the aircraft was overloaded, limiting its ability to climb.[3]
The investigation commission concluded that, due to low cloud cover and the absence of equipment such as instruments and radio gear for blind flying, the pilot was compelled to maintain a low altitude in order to keep the ground in sight. This resulted in the aircraft colliding with obstacles.[1]
Aftermath
The crash significantly impacted the leadership of the Soviet aviation and civil aviation sectors. Two years prior to the incident, high-ranking party officials had been prohibited from flying on aircraft. At the time of the crash, Joseph Stalin was vacationing in Sochi, while Lazar Kaganovich was overseeing affairs in Moscow. Kaganovich received the following telegram from Stalin:
Flying by responsible non-pilot officials without permission from the Central Committee must be prohibited under threat of expulsion from the party. This prohibition must be strictly enforced, and violators should be expelled regardless of their rank.
Following the incident, the Politburo, with Stalin's approval, created a list of positions — ranging from members of the Central Committee to heads of main directorates of people's commissariats — whose holders were forbidden from flying without authorisation. Annual qualification checks for pilots were introduced for the first time in the Soviet Union. All aircraft were required to be equipped with the necessary instruments for blind flying, and unauthorised modifications or the carriage of passengers on untested airliners were prohibited.
The accident also prompted the establishment of navigation, meteorological, and air traffic services, and all tall structures, including radio antennas, were required to be marked with signal lights. Work on the creation of the Air Code was accelerated. In 1956, twenty-three years after the crash, a special government aviation unit was established to transport party leaders.[3]
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