Tu204 From Russia, joined Mar 2006, 495 posts, RR: 20 Posted (3 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 11888 times:
I got my hands on the transcript for the ship RA-85185 of Pulkovo Airlines flight 612 that crashed near Donetsk, Ukraine on 22.08.2006.
I asked if it was ok to type it out, they said it was ok as long as it stays unaltered.
If you want the original (Russian) part of it, look to the bottom.
To be honest, I have never heard as much swearing in my life - almost in every phrase! Not even from my grandfather who, I thought, was the master of profanity swore this much!
I am confident that I translated the transcript pretty well except for the profanity - the Russian vocabularly is much richer than the english so alot of the creative and rather amusing phrases of the captain I had to translate simply to "Fuck"
I APOLOGISE IN ADVANCE FOR THE PROFANITY - I AM ONLY TRANSLATING WHAT THEY SAID! DON'T KILL THE MESSENGER
Oh, yes, you are very welcome (now I will go to sleep)
CPT - Captain
NAV - Navigator
TWR - Tower (center)
CREW - unknown (unidentified)
CO - Copilot
ST - Trainee (copilot in training)
11:33:06 CPT: Lets temporarily go to 400 or whatever, this motherfucker, this is completely fucked up. Yes, ask for 390, otherwise we won't be able to go around, fuck!
11:33:12,5 [Sound of Angle of Attack alarm (AoA)]
11:33:17 NAV: Changed
11:33:20 NAV: Tower, this is Pulkovo 612
11:33:21 TWR: Pulkovo 612, receiving you.
11:33:22 CPT: Climb, yes?
11:33:24 NAV: Pulkovo 612, temporarily requesting flight level 390.
11:33:28 CPT: Tell him that its pretty shaky.
11:33:34 TWR: Pulkovo 612, cleared for 3-9-0.
11:33:34 NAV: Climbing to 3-9-0 thank you very much, Pulkovo 6-12
11:33:37 CPT: We will still get this fucker (unintelligeble)
11:33:39 CREW: (unintelligeble)
11:33:45 CPT: Where are those (unintelligeble), motherfucker?!
11:34:24 CPT: Holy fuck! That shit is fucking crazy! (referring to the thunder storm - author, aka me)
11:34:27 CPT: Holy fuck!
11:34:32 CPT: She, oh fuck! Fucking bitch, and hail too? Fucking slut! (He referred to the storm as a "she" - author)
11:34:40 CPT: Give me (unintelligeble)
11:34:43 CPT: And where to? Maybe to the side? Igor, move a bit more.
11:34:48 CPT: Igor.
11:34:49 NAV: What?
11:34:49,5 CPT: Maybe to the side? Where else can we get away from her, the slut. (Referring to the storm cloud - author)
11:34:52 CREW: (unintelligeble). No.
11:34:54 CPT: Tell me, did we take 390, Andrew? Eh, this montherfucker (he is not referring to Andrew, just cursing to himself. - author)
11:34:56 ST: Pulkovo 612, we are at flight level 390.
11:34:58,5...
11:35:00,3 CPT: Say something? Ah fuck! (this is when the crew lost control of the aircraft)
11:35:00,2...
11:35:05 CREW: We are descending (unintelligeble)
11:35:06 CPT: Where the fuck are we descending, fucking idiots!
11:35:09 CPT: Full power, fuck!
11:35:10 EN: Full power.
11:35:12 CPT: Tell them that we are fucking descending, fuck!
11:35:13 ST: Descending, Pulkovo 612.
11:35:15,9 [Computer Alarm - AoA].
11:35:17 CPT: Carefull.
11:35:20,9 [Computer Alarm - AoA]
11:35:22 CPT: Watch the bank!.
11:35:23 CREW: At full power .
11:35:24 Signal
11:35:28 NAV: Pulkovo 612, descending to 3-6-0.
11:35:30,8 [Computer Alarm - AoA]
11:35:31 CPT: Say fucking severe terbulance.
11:35:33 NAV: Serious turbulance.
11:35:34 TWR: Pulkovo aircraft, descend 3-6-0.
11:35:36 CPT: Fucking descending!
11:35:38,9 Signal
11:35,37 CREW: (unintelligeble).
11:35:41 CPT: Carefull, we're all holding it.
11:35:44 CPT: Holding, fuck!
11:35:45 EN: Generators (unintelligeble).
11:35:48 EN: Flameout. Descending. Vanya, flameout. (Vanya is a kind form of "Ivan" - author.)
11:35:55 CPT: (unintelligeble).
11:35:58 CREW: (unintelligeble)
11:36:02 CPT: Watch the speed, speed!Ñêîðîñòè ñìîòðèòå, ñêîðîñòè.
11:36:04 CREW: Well, went down a bit.
11:36:07 CREW: No, normal.
11:36:22 CPT: How much did you say? (referring to G force - author)
11:36:23 NAV: (unintelligeble) 245. (most likely course - author)
11:36:24 CPT: What course, fucking...!
11:36:25 NAV (unintelligeble)
11:36:28 CPT: (unintelligeble)
11:36:28 CREW: I understand
11:36:29 CREW: Only circling.
11:36:31 Crew: Correct
11:36:32 CPT: Vova, c'mon, command. (Vova, the Co-pilot was Russian Champion for aerobatics. At that moment he was standing behind the trainee - author)
11:36:36 NAV: Left, Vanya
11:36:37 CPT: Thats it, Fuck.
11:36:40 CREW: Descending Descending!
11:36:55 CREW: Tell them that we have mayday.
11:36:57-11:36:59,6 ST: S0S, 612, SOS...
11:37:01 TWR: Pulkovo 612, I do not understand you.
11:37:02 CPT: Fuck, whats our speed?
11:37:03-11:37:05,2 NAV: S0S, S0S, Pulkovo 612, SOS, SOS, SOS, Pulkovo 612
11:37:06 CPT: What's our speed? What's our speed?
11:37:41,9 CREW: (unintelligeble)
11:37:45 CPT: Left, c'mon!
11:37:49,1 CREW: (unintelligeble)
11:37:50,5 CPT: Vova, c'mon help out Andrew?
11:37:55 NAV: Altitude 2000, Vanya, 2000!
11:38:01 CPT: God damnit!
11:38:03 CREW: Forget (unintelligeble)
11:38:04,1 CPT: (unintelligeble) right.
11:38:05,6 EN: (unintelligeble) falling.
11:38:06,9 NAV: Now left, left (unintelligeble).
11:38:07,9 CREW: (unintelligeble).
11:38:09 CREW: I didn't see it
11:38:09,9 CO: Oh my god...
11:38:11,6 CPT: Pull up, Pull up, Pull up, Pull up! Andrew! Eh, pull up! Pull up Andrew! (unintelligeble)
11:38:20,3 CPT: And now TO power
11:38:21,1 CREW: Left leg, get rid of the bank.
11:38:23,1 CO: (unintelligeble)... don't kill
11:38:23,7 CPT: Andrew, don't panic!
11:38:26,5 CREW: Don't kill! Don't kill! (most likely trainee Andrew Khodnevich - author)
11:38:27,5
CPT: Fucking terrain!
11:38:28,3 CREW: (unintelligeble)
11:38:30 SCREAM. [end of tape]
EDDB From Germany, joined Aug 2006, 238 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (3 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 11569 times:
Sometimes I watch the CBs and TSs rather fascinated than with the given respect, untill the captain says "Aaaah, don't you think we should divert a little to the left/right?"
Tu204 From Russia, joined Mar 2006, 495 posts, RR: 20 Reply 5, posted (3 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 11408 times:
Quoting BOAC911 (Reply 4): Do we already have any more concrete information in addition to this transcript? Initial media reports speculated about a fire on board the aircraft?
No and No. I can't give any more info but I can say that there was no fire.
I do not dream about movie stars, they must dream about me for I am real and they are not. - Alexander Popov
CURLYHEADBOY From Italy, joined Feb 2005, 899 posts, RR: 2 Reply 7, posted (3 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 11341 times:
Quoting Levg79 (Reply 6): I figured that they asked to climb to FL390 due to the weather but why did they suddenly start descending? I can't figure that out.
Looks like they climbed over the maximum operating altitude, stalled, went into a spin and crashed, this is just my impression though.
If God had wanted men to fly he would have given them more money...
Tu204 From Russia, joined Mar 2006, 495 posts, RR: 20 Reply 9, posted (3 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 11143 times:
Quoting CURLYHEADBOY (Reply 7): Looks like they climbed over the maximum operating altitude, stalled, went into a spin and crashed, this is just my impression though.
You are right. By "descending" he actually meant "out-of-control-flat-spin".
You can see this by looking at the statement of the commander:
11:35:06 CPT: Where the fuck are we descending, fucking idiots!
This is when the plane just went into a spin.
Quoting Levg79 (Reply 6): By the amount of cursing (and I read the Russian version of transcript) I can only say that the situation onboard must have been very tense.
I think the captain is just one of those guys that curses every other word.
I know a person like this, they are funny but only for a short time. I a swimming coach who was like that. Cause he was cursing before anything really happened.
I do not dream about movie stars, they must dream about me for I am real and they are not. - Alexander Popov
CURLYHEADBOY From Italy, joined Feb 2005, 899 posts, RR: 2 Reply 10, posted (3 years 1 month 3 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 10828 times:
Quoting Tu204 (Reply 9): You are right. By "descending" he actually meant "out-of-control-flat-spin".
You can see this by looking at the statement of the commander:
11:35:06 CPT: Where the fuck are we descending, fucking idiots!
This is when the plane just went into a spin.
Indeed, that's the first thing I thought about when I first red of the accident... they climbed too much for getting clear of the weather... now, I don't know what's the max. operating ceiling for the type, but I'd guess that, if the aircraft was flying close to that altitude, in stormy weather, maybe a little overloaded, the flight envelope should have been quite critical...
Quoting Tu204 (Reply 9): I think the captain is just one of those guys that curses every other word.
Sure he is, but that's not something I would expect from an airline captain...
Quoting Tu204 (Reply 9): they are funny but only for a short time.
Yeah, 3 minutes and a half, then he dug a fu**in' hole in the fu**in' terrain
If God had wanted men to fly he would have given them more money...
Quoting Tu204 (Reply 9): they are funny but only for a short time
Interesting issue, all that cursing. If I would've allowed myself even a small portion of what that captain said around my Russian-speaking relatives, I would've been stared at and ignored. Which brings me to a point: is that kind of conversation normal on the waves beyond Russia? I seem to remember a row when someone swore without identifying himself, somehwere in the US, and an inquiry was started into the incident. With this captain here, may he rest in peace, it seems he was the kind of guy who always swore, so he must have done it in normal situations as well. Is that really tolerated in Russia?
[Edited 2006-10-05 13:37:32]
"Get your facts first. Then you may distort them as much as you please" -- Mark Twain
Tu204 From Russia, joined Mar 2006, 495 posts, RR: 20 Reply 12, posted (3 years 1 month 3 weeks 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 10565 times:
Quoting EHHO (Reply 11): Interesting issue, all that cursing. If I would've allowed myself even a small portion of what that captain said around my Russian-speaking relatives, I would've been stared at and ignored. Which brings me to a point: is that kind of conversation normal on the waves beyond Russia? I seem to remember a row when someone swore without identifying himself, somehwere in the US, and an inquiry was started into the incident. With this captain here, may he rest in peace, it seems he was the kind of guy who always swore, so he must have done it in normal situations as well. Is that really tolerated in Russia?
Not at all. Employers hate it, so do the elderly and anyone who has any children, so it is considered unaceptable in society, well, except with teens but only among the guys, the girls don't like it either but I think with teens that is the same almost anywhere in the world.
And usually the way it is with teens is that they swear amongst each other but when speaking to parents/teachers/people older than them they never swear.
Note that he never cursed when transmitting - he usually got either the trainee or the navigator to transmit messenges for him. Also note that nobody else swore AT ALL during the whole event. I am no phychologist, but I am guessing that this guy, in a position of power, thought of himself as a pretty "big guy" and permitted himself to talk like this.
If he wouldn't have crashed then this transcript would have been extremely funny. The memo that was attached to this transcript by the guys decifering the CVR was: "If he wouldn't have crashed, we could have made a reality TV show by following this guy around with a camera."
In all the sadness of this, it was pretty interesting how he referred to the thunderstorm. Creative indeed.
Quoting CURLYHEADBOY (Reply 10): Indeed, that's the first thing I thought about when I first red of the accident... they climbed too much for getting clear of the weather... now, I don't know what's the max. operating ceiling for the type, but I'd guess that, if the aircraft was flying close to that altitude, in stormy weather, maybe a little overloaded, the flight envelope should have been quite critical...
He couldn't have been overloaded because he did not refuel in Anapa, he was flying on the fuel that he brought from St.Petersburg but I guess he could have been somewhere near the MTOW when he took off if he had some cargo. But he was over maximum cruise altitude for the aircraft, which is 11800m. But if, as you said, take into account the thunderstorm itself, it could have destabilised the aircraft and sent it into the spin.
Quoting CURLYHEADBOY (Reply 10): Sure he is, but that's not something I would expect from an airline captain...
Tell me about it
I do not dream about movie stars, they must dream about me for I am real and they are not. - Alexander Popov
Kellmark From United States, joined Dec 2000, 568 posts, RR: 8 Reply 13, posted (3 years 1 month 3 weeks 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 10518 times:
Does anyone know if the airline had a flight dispatcher/flight operations officer to warn the crew of the weather ahead and reroute before they got to it?
EDDB From Germany, joined Aug 2006, 238 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (3 years 1 month 3 weeks 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 10230 times:
Quoting Tu204 (Reply 12): But he was over maximum cruise altitude for the aircraft, which is 11800m. But if, as you said, take into account the thunderstorm itself, it could have destabilised the aircraft and sent it into the spin.
That's it! When flying in such a narrow corner of your envelope between your Vmax and your stalling speed at/above your max alt in the vicinity of a TS cell, boy, it only needs a rapid wind change and your out of limits...
CURLYHEADBOY From Italy, joined Feb 2005, 899 posts, RR: 2 Reply 15, posted (3 years 1 month 3 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 10160 times:
Quoting EDDB (Reply 14): That's it! When flying in such a narrow corner of your envelope between your Vmax and your stalling speed at/above your max alt in the vicinity of a TS cell, boy, it only needs a rapid wind change and your out of limits...
I agree. I was asking myself if the AOA could have played a role into this, i mean, when does a stall put you into a flat spin? Trying to visualize the moment they lost control I can see the aircraft struggling to maintain a FL above its operating ceiling, nose-up. The moment the first wing stalled and dropped, initiating a rotation. No way they could recover.
If God had wanted men to fly he would have given them more money...