Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 307


Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 307 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Sofia to Moscow that crashed on its final approach to the Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow on March 3, 1973. All 25 passengers and crew on board were killed in the crash.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was an Ilyushin Il-18V, registration LZ-BEM with the manufacturer's serial number 182005602. The aircraft first flew in 1962.

Description of the accident

The aircraft was completing an international scheduled passenger flight from Sofia to Moscow when, on its second landing attempt after a missed approach, it started to lose altitude and nosedived shortly thereafter. The aircraft crashed into the ground, disintegrated, and catched fire. There were no survivors among the passengers and seven crew members on board. The accident marked the loss of an Ilyushin Il-18 and was also the worst accident involving the type at the time of the accident., the event is the deadliest one involving an Il-18.
Icing was later determined as the possible cause of the accident.