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65 years after the tragedy: AUA Flight 901 and the crash near Moscow
On September 26, 1960, AUA Flight 901 crashed near Moscow. 31 of the 37 people on board died. Causes and lessons.
65 years after the tragedy: AUA Flight 901 and the crash near Moscow
On September 26, 1960, a fateful day in the history of Austrian aviation, the Vickers Viscount “Joseph Haydn” was to go down in history for the first time on its flight OS 901 from Vienna to Moscow - albeit under tragic circumstances. What was planned as a regular connection ended in one of Austria's worst air disasters, which was considered the most serious until the Lauda Air disaster in 1991.
The “Joseph Haydn”, which had its first flight on February 10, 1960 and was operated by Austrian Airlines under the registration OE-LAF, picked up its passengers in Vienna at 1:45 p.m. With 39 passengers and 6 crew on board and after a stopover in Warsaw, the aircraft took off at 4:54 p.m. for the final leg to Moscow. The tragedy unfolded when the crew initiated the final approach at 9:28 p.m. and the plane collided with trees while attempting to reach runway 07 at Sheremetyevo International Airport at around 9:39 p.m.
Causes of misfortune
The accident claimed the lives of 27 of the 37 people on board, with initially 10 survivors - four of whom later succumbed to their serious injuries. A final report from the Soviet Union, which conducted the accident investigation, determined that the crash was caused by Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT). Technical defects in the altimeters are suspected, which led to the pilots using different air pressure settings. This discrepancy led to fatal misinterpretations of the actual flight altitude.
In general, aviation is safer today than ever before. Loud Statista The number and severity of plane crashes have fallen sharply in recent years. In 2024 there were only 268 deaths worldwide from aircraft tragedies. In comparison, before the turn of the millennium, over 1,000 human lives were lost in such accidents every year. Technological innovations, such as landing assistants, make a significant contribution to this positive development.
The legacy of “Joseph Haydn”
The accident reporting stated that the crash of the “Joseph Haydn” remains the only fatal incident in the history of Austrian Airlines. The shock of the accident led the airline to implement strict pilot training standards to prevent future accidents. Austrian Airlines, which was founded in 1957 and now operates a fleet of almost 70 aircraft, has since then strived to increase confidence in the safety of flight operations.
Flight OS 901 and the accident are not only a dark chapter in the history of Austrian aviation, but also a powerful reminder of the importance of safety standards in the aviation industry. As technology advances, the memory of “Joseph Haydn” remains as a tragic warning.