Transport aircraft the Let L-410 Turbolet completed its maiden flight on 16 April 1969. This popular aircraft went through a number of improvements and modernization and the latest types, the L 410 UVP-E20 and L 420 are EASA and FAA certified respectively. According to statistics, the L-410 Turbolet can be considered a safe aircraft because it has had 118 accidents during its development out of a total of 1,200 aircraft produced and exported. While only a few of these accidents were fatal, some say the safety record of the aircraft is influenced more by operational practices than its design. Some customers and regulators have chosen certain practices that impact the overall safety performance.
1970s 18 April 1972: A Slov-Air L-410A (OK-ADN) was hijacked by two people during a flight from Mariánské Lázně to Prague and flown to Nürnburg, Germany. During the hijacking, the first officer was shot and wounded. After landing, the hijackers sought asylum in West Germany. After serving time in prison, the hijackers were granted asylum in 1976. 8 June 1972: OK-ADN was hijacked a second time on the same flight route by two passengers, one of whom was armed. Over the Becov control point the hijackers grabbed both pilots headphones and shouted "Fly to West Germany, otherwise I will shoot you dead!" A gunshot was heard as the pilot was shot dead. The armed hijacker then threatened to shoot the copilot as well, demanding to be flown to Munich. Eight other hijackers rose up and attacked the four remaining passengers with bottles to avoid the resistance of a possible security guard on board. The copilot informed the hijacker that the aircraft did not have enough fuel to reach Munich and would land in a nearby large city. After the hijackers realized they were in West Germany, the aircraft landed at Weiden. Ten hijackers escaped, but were later caught by police. 1975: An L-410A (OK-DKD) still owned by Let burned out in a fire. 7 July 1977: The third prototype L-410 (OK-162) crashed near Nedakonice due to tail separation caused by pilot error during a test flight, killing the four crew. 6 August 1977: An Air Service Hungary L-410AF (HA-YFA) crashed into Lake Balaton while flying low, killing one of four on board. 18 January 1979: An Aeroflot L-410M (CCCP-67210) crashed in a field near Belgorod Airport during a training flight following a loss of control, killing the three crew. The crew was practicing flying turns with one engine out. 3 August 1979: Aeroflot Flight 1643, an L-410M (CCCP-67206), crashed near Rzhevka Airport due to a loss of control following engine failure, killing 10 of 14 on board.
1980s 18 February 1981: An Aeroflot L-410M (CCCP-67273) burned out in Russia following a cabin or cockpit fire. 7 January 1982: Aeroflot Flight G-96, an L-410M (CCCP-67290), struck a hill near Gelendzhik, Russia, killing all 18 on board. The aircraft had drifted off course due to pilot error. 10 February 1982: An Aeroflot L-410M (CCCP-62737) was written off after it was struck by an out-of-control An-2 (CCCP-70349). 14 August 1982: Aeroflot Flight G-73, an L-410M (CCCP-67191), was taxiing for takeoff at Babusheri Airport when it was struck by Aeroflot Flight 974, a Tu-134A (CCCP-65836) that was taking off from the same airport, killing all 11 on board the L-410; all 82 on board the Tu-134 survived. Both aircraft were written off. 29 March 1983: Aeroflot Flight G-70, an L-410M (CCCP-67190), struck the side of a hill at Poti Airport while attempting a forced landing following engine failure, killing six of 18 on board. 19 October 1983: An Aeroflot L-410UVP (CCCP-67315) overran the runway at Kansk Air Base and struck an obstacle. 4 July 1984: An Aeroflot L-410M (CCCP-67276) was written off after landing hard at Chulman Airport, collapsing the landing gear. 4 December 1984: Aeroflot Flight F-637, an L-410MA (CCCP-67225), crashed near Kostroma, Russia due to a loss of control after the pilots became disorientated, killing all 17 on board. 29 December 1984: An Aeroflot L-410UVP (CCCP-67140) force-landed near Lineinoye, Russia ( from Astrakhan) after both engines quit due to fuel starvation; there were no casualties, but the aircraft was written off. The fuel filler caps had not been closed before takeoff and fuel was sucked out of the tanks during the flight. 14 October 1986: Aeroflot Flight 763, a L-410MU (CCCP-67264), crashed in the Aldan River shortly after takeoff from Ust-Maya Airport; all 14 on board drowned because the doors could not be opened. The aircraft lost control following left engine failure. 31 December 1986: An Aeroflot L-410UVP (CCCP-67428) ran off the apron at Chernenko Airport (now Sharypovo Airport); no casualties. 13 June 1987: An Aeroflot L-410M (CCCP-67239) was written off following a ground incident with two An-2s. 24 September 1987: An Aeroflot L-410MU (CCCP-67249) was written off following an aborted takeoff at Yakutsk Airport. During the takeoff roll, the left landing gear brake failed and became stuck on. The left wheel dug into the ground, causing the left wing tip and nose to hit the ground. 18 October 1987: An Aeroflot L-410UVP (CCCP-67334) was written off following a wheels-up landing at Saratov Airport. 19 April 1988: An Aeroflot L-410UVP (CCCP-67518) struck a hill northeast of Bagdarin, Russia in bad weather, killing all 17 on board. The pilots had deviated from the flight route and began descending too soon. 26 August 1988: An Aeroflot L-410MU (CCCP-67235) struck a mountain side at Irkutsk, killing all four on board. The crew had failed to set the altimeters properly. 7 December 1988: An Aeroflot L-410UVP (CCCP-67127) crashed short of the runway at Kodinsk, killing six of 14 on board. The altimeter warning was set incorrectly and the crew did not use the outer marker. 28 August 1989: An Aeroflot L-410UVP (CCCP-67104) force-landed near Labinsk, Russia due to loss of control following engine failure; all 17 on board survived. 13 September 1989: An Aero Vodochody L-410M (OK-FDC) was written off following a night landing at Klecany Airport; the aircraft is now in a museum.
1990s 15 October 1991: A Soviet Air Force L-410UVP stalled and crashed at Balashov Airfield during a training flight, killing all three on board. 4 April 1992: A Kamchatavia L-410UVP (CCCP-67130) struck terrain and crashed 5 km from Baykovo Airport; one passenger died when a propeller separated and sliced through the fuselage. The aircraft descended too soon for a visual approach to Baykovo, but because the pilots were distracted while looking for landmarks, the aircraft continued to descend until it crashed. 26 August 1993: Sakha Avia Flight 301, an L-410UVP-E (RA-67656), stalled and crashed short of the runway at Aldan Airport, killing all 24 on board. The aircraft was overloaded and the center of gravity was too far to the rear, causing the aircraft to pitch up while the flaps were extended for landing. The crash remains the deadliest involving the L-410. 20 January 1995: An Abakan Airlines L-410UVP (RA-67120) crashed on takeoff from Krasnoyarsk Airport after the number two propeller feathered (probably due to fuel contamination), killing three of 16 on board. 7 June 1995: Latvian Air Force L-410UVP 146 participated in an airshow in Lielvārde military base in Latvia, during which the pilots tried to perform an (unsanctioned) barrel roll. The maneuver likely would have been successful, but the initial altitude was too low (about 350 meters) and the aircraft crashed some 150 meters from spectators, killing both pilots.
18 May 1996: An Archana Airways L-410UVP-E9D (VT-ETB) touched down late and overran the runway at Kanpur Airport, striking the boundary wall of the airport and came to a halt. All 19 people on board survived. 11 July 1996: An Archana Airways L-410UVP-E9D (VT-ETC) crashed in a forest near Kanda, India, killing all nine people on board. Airline negligence was blamed. 13 January 1998: An Aeroservice International L-410UVP-E3 (YV-928CP) was being ferried from Gomel to Kunovice when it crashed short of the runway at Turany Airport in poor visibility, killing both pilots. The FDR was not working. 7 December 1999: Asian Spirit Flight 100, an L-410UVP-E (RP-C3883) crashed onto a mountainside between the municipalities of Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya and Cabarroguis, Quirino, both in the Philippines. All 15 passengers and both crew members on board lost their lives.
2000s 15 January 2000: A Taxi Aero Centroamericano (TACSA) L-410UVP-E (YS-09-C) crashed shortly after takeoff off from Tobias Bolanos Airport due to crew error, killing 5 of 18 on board. 12 September 2001: An Aero Ferinco L-410UVP-E (XA-ACM) with 19 people on board, including University of Washington Husky football fans, alumni and alumni association members crashed into the jungle in the Mexican state of Yucatán, killing all people on board. 18 September 2001: Atlantic Airlines Flight 870, an L-410UVP-E, stalled and crashed on takeoff from La Aurora International Airport when the center of gravity was outside limits, killing eight of 13 on board. 16 December 2001: a Heliandes Let L-410 (HK-4175X) crashed into a hillside just after takeoff from Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport. All 16 occupants were killed. According to the incident report, the cause was a failure to follow standard company procedures or the approved flight plan combined with the formation of cumulus clouds making visual operations difficult. 8 February 2002: USAF L-410UVP-E3 00-0292 crashed at Fort Bliss. 1 March 2003: A Borki Air Club L-410UVP (FLARF-01032) crashed near Borki, Russia during a skydiving flight, killing both pilots and nine of 23 passengers. The aircraft was overloaded and the center of gravity was too far to the rear. At 11 skydivers prepared to jump out. When four of them jumped the aircraft pitched up. The aircraft stalled, entered a left dive, and lost control and later broke up. 24 August 2003: Tropical Airways Flight 1301, an L-410UVP-E3 (HH-PRV), crashed in a sugarcane field while attempting to return to the airport after the forward baggage door opened during takeoff from an airport in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, killing all 21 people on board. 23 May 2004: A Blue Bird Aviation L-410UVP-E3 (5Y-VVD) crashed 18 mi south of Mwingi following a mid-air collision with another Blue Bird Aviation L-410 (5Y-VVA), killing both pilots; although 5Y-VVA was damaged in the collision, it was able to land safely. 27 January 2005: A Farnair Hungary L-410UVP-E4 (HA-LAR) was carrying out a non-directional beacon let-down with radar assistance at Iași Airport, Romania, but when the crew notified air traffic control of their position over the airport beacon and their intention to turn right outbound, they were seen to turn left. The aircraft then descended down to crash near a road. Both crew members on board were killed. 26 March 2005: West Caribbean Airways Flight 9955, an L-410UVP-E (HK-4146), failed to gain altitude on takeoff from El Embrujo Airport due to engine failure and struck hills close to runway 17, killing both pilots and 7 of the 12 passengers on board. 2 June 2005: A Transportes Aéreos Guatemaltecos L-410UVP-E3 (TG-TAG) carrying 17 passengers on board crashed near Zacapa shortly after take-off. The crew tried to return to the airfield after reporting technical problems. All crew and passengers survived the accident. 30 October 2005: Trade Air Flight 729 L-410UVP-E19A (9A-BTA) crashed a few minutes after takeoff from Bergamo-Orio Al Serio Airport on its way to Zagreb. All three on board were killed. Weather was poor with a limited visibility due to fog. 31 March 2006: TEAM Linhas Aéreas Flight 6865, a L-410UVP-E20 (PT-FSE), struck trees near the peak of Pico da Pedra Bonita (3.8 mi southeast of Rio Bonito) and crashed, killing all 19 people on board.