On March 23, 1994, Aeroflot Flight 593 from Russia to Hong Kong ended in a tragic crash, killing all 75 people onboard. This disaster, caused by a series of errors, is remembered as one of the most preventable accidents in aviation history.
The flight departed late at night with an experienced crew. Captain Andrew Danilov, with over 9,500 flight hours, was joined by First Officer Igor Piskaryov and Relief Captain Yaroslav Kudrinsky, both seasoned pilots. Despite their expertise, their decisions that night had devastating consequences.
This was the first international trip for Kudrinsky’s children, Yana (13) and Eldar (15). To make the journey special, Kudrinsky invited them into the cockpit, violating strict aviation rules. Believing the autopilot system would keep the plane steady, he allowed the children to sit at the controls.
At 12:43 a.m., Yana was the first to sit in the pilot’s seat. She pretended to fly the plane, but autopilot kept it stable. At 12:51 a.m., Eldar took his turn. He moved the controls for over 30 seconds, unknowingly applying enough pressure to switch the autopilot into manual mode.
A warning light indicated the change, but the crew, unfamiliar with the aircraft’s system, failed to notice. The plane began to tilt, and with autopilot disengaged, it lost stability and altitude.
Realizing the danger, Kudrinsky quickly removed Eldar from the seat and tried to regain control. Desperately, he shouted, “Go away, Eldar! Do you see the danger? Go to the back!”
The crew struggled to stabilize the plane, but their actions caused an overcorrection. The aircraft went into a steep climb, stalled, and spiraled into a spin.
At 12:58 a.m., the plane crashed into the Kuznetsk Alatau Mountain range in Russia. The impact destroyed the aircraft, killing everyone instantly. Investigators later confirmed the cause as human error, based on cockpit recordings.
