Aeroflot Flight 1036

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Aeroflot Flight 1036 was a domestic passenger flight that crashed during takeoff from Sochi International Airport on October 1, 1972. All 109 people aboard died (101 passengers and 8 crew), making it the second‑worst accident involving an Ilyushin Il-18 and, at the time, the worst.

The airplane was an Ilyushin Il-18V, registered CCCP-75507, built in 1963. It had about 15,700 flight hours and 7,900 pressurization cycles. On board were 100 adults, 1 child, and 8 crew members, including psychologist Vladimir Nebylitsyn and his wife.

Weather that day was clear with good visibility and a temperature of 17°C. The flight departed Sochi at 19:21 local time, heading toward Moscow. ATC instructed a right turn and climb to 3,000 meters toward Lazarevskoye. At 150–250 meters altitude, the aircraft suddenly veered into a steep left turn and plunged into the Black Sea, about 10.5 kilometers from the shore. Debris and bodies were found several hours later, about 5–6 kilometers from shore.

Investigators proposed several possible causes. No explosives were found. Mechanical failure could not be proven. The most studied theory was that birds were involved, potentially causing damage during the takeoff and climb. However, the crash site was deep (500–1,000 meters) and muddy, making it very difficult to determine the exact cause.