Antonov AN124 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, February 2, 2012
On February 2, 2012 at about 6:42 pm local time, a Antonov AN124, registered RA82046, was involved in an accident during enroute near Anchorage, Alaska. It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). 2 people were seriously injured; 4 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an inadvertent encounter with Clear Air Turbulence that resulted in serious injuries to two crewmembers.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 2, 2012 · about 6:42 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Antonov AN124 100M
- Registration
- RA82046 · no longer on the register · serial 9773052255117
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On February 2, 2012, about 1442 Alaska standard time, Volga-Dnepr Airlines flight VDA 4410, an Antonov AN-124-100, registration RA82046, encountered turbulence during approach to land to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was not damaged but two crew members received serious injuries. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 129 as an unscheduled cargo flight from Campbell Army Airfield, Fort Campbell, Kentucky to ANC. According to flight crew statements there were pilot reports of light turbulence in the area. While the airplane was about 40 miles from ANC at an altitude of about 13,000 feet and clear of clouds, the flight encountered severe turbulence that lasted for about 3 to 10 seconds. The flight crew reported that the airplane's g-meter recorded the event at -0.6 to +2.0 Gs. At the time of the turbulence, one maintenance crew member was in the aft technical cabin returning from the lavatory and a second maintenance crewmember was in his seat with the seatbelt buckled but was jolted against the arm rest. Both crewmembers received serious injuries.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Turbulence encounter during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Clear air turbulence › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,556 hours in all; 2,695 in this make and model; 136 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: April 14, 2011
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,542 hours in all; 2,087 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: April 5, 2011
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 505,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Lotarev D18 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lotarev D18 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 3: Lotarev D18 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 4: Lotarev D18 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KHOP Fort Campbell KY
- Destination: Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.