Runway excursion Accident Tupolev Tu-104A OK-MDE,

Date:	Wednesday 29 August 1973
Time:	06:39
Type:	Tupolev Tu-104A
Owner/operator:	CSA Ceskoslovenské Aerolinie
Registration:	OK-MDE
MSN:	86601202
Year of manufacture:	1958
Engine model:	Mikulin AM-3M
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 70
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Nicosia Airport (NIC) - Cyprus
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Damascus International Airport (DAM/OSDI)
Destination airport:	Nicosia Airport (NIC/LCNC)

Narrative:
CSA Flight 531 landed at Nicosia's runway 14 and veered to the right, 150 m short of the runway end. The Tupolev struck 2 taxi lights and skidded down a 4 feet embankment. A fire started in the no. 1 engine, but was quickly contained by the fire services.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The failure of the pilot to stop the aircraft within the nominally adequate runway distance available and the subsequent entry of the aircraft into a right turn at high speed, as a result of which the aircraft was subjected to lateral centrifugal forces and side skidded off the runway."

Sources:

Soviet Transports

Location

Images:

photo (c) A.J.Geelhoed; Nicosia Airport (NIC/LCNC); 05 December 2007