Accidents and Incidents
During its service life the Tu-114 gained an enviable safety record (probably unmatched for its era) with only one fatal (but non-airborne) accident. On 17 February 1966, a Tu-114 pilot attempted to take off from Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow at night in deteriorating weather conditions after the flight had been delayed several times. The crew were unaware that snow had not been properly cleared from the full width of the runway involved. The plane's wing struck a large snow mound at speed and the propellers of No.3 and 4 engines impacted with the runway, resulting in the aircraft veering off course and burning. Initial Soviet sources suggested that 48 of 70 persons on board were killed, including the pilot. The aircraft was operating as Aeroflot Flight 65 and was bound for Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo with a number of Africans and a Soviet trade delegation on board. Later reports give the fatalities as 21 of 48 on board.
Another non-operational example was written off with fuselage damage in August 1962 at Vnukovo Airport after the undercarriage nose gear collapsed during servicing.
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