Vladivostok Air Flight 352
Vladivostok Air Flight 352 was a scheduled passenger flight from Yekaterinburg, Russia to Vladivostok via Irkutsk. On 4 July 2001, the plane operating the flight, a Tupolev Tu-154M with tail number RA-85845, lost control, stalled, and crashed while approaching Irkutsk Airport. All 136 passengers and 9 flight crew members aboard perished, making it the third deadliest aircraft crash over Russian territory to date after Aeroflot Flight 3352 and Aeroflot Flight 217. At the time, it was the 5th deadliest accident involving a Tupolev Tu-154; it is currently the 7th deadliest. Flight. On approach to Irkutsk , and while the pilots were lowering the landing gear, the co-pilot realized that the plane was turning excessively. The Tu-154 reached a 45° bank, and the nose began to drop. The co-pilot reacted by violently pulling back on the control column. The aircraft's nose rose sharply, causing an immediate stall. The plane's altitude did not allow sufficient room for the pilots to recover, and the aircraft impacted the ground, killing all 145 people on board.