Other Tupolev TU-104 (Nov. 2023)

[Tomvandutch]

On August 29, 1973, the Tupolev Tu-104 of CSA Ceskoslovenske Aerolinie came off the runway while approaching Nicosia Airport (NIC). The aircraft with the registration OK-MDE was on the flight Baghdad - Damascus - Nicosia - Prague, with 62 passengers and 8 crew members and wanted to make a refueling stop in Cyprus. There were no fatalities. It veered off runway 14/32 to the right and slid down an embankment. The pilot had not reduced the speed quickly enough and so the centrifugal forces in the upcoming right turn were too high.

The aircraft, built in 1958, came to a stop about 150m from the runway.
Since the left wing broke off and a fire broke out in one of the engines, it was a total loss.

The plane was then bought by a Cypriot businessman who wanted to run a restaurant in it. The aircraft was then towed around 800m further away from the airfield, where the remains still stand today.

During the fighting in July 1974, the machine was further destroyed.

It is unknown where the missing cockpit and fuselage parts remained.
Today the remains are still lying not far from the airfield in the UN buffer zone (entry into which is prohibited).

On our second visit there (during the day) a UN patrol came and asked us to leave the UN buffer zone immediately.
At the end you can see two old pictures. One when the machine was still in use and another relatively shortly after the accident.


Technical data:

The Tupolev Tu-104 is a twin-engine medium-range standard-body airliner for up to 100 passengers from the Soviet design office OKB Tupolev.
The Tu-104 is a civilian development of the Tupolev Tu-16 bomber.
The Tu-104 was the second jet airliner in the world after the de Havilland D.H.106 Comet.

Crew: 5
Passengers: 70-100
Propulsion type: 2 turbojet engines
Engine type: Mikulin AM-3M-500
Power per TW: 93.1 kN
Speed: 950 km/h
Service ceiling: 11,500 m
Range: 2,650 km
Curb weight: 41,600 kg
max. takeoff mass: 76,000 kg
Wingspan: 34.54 m
Wing area: 183.5 m²
Length: 40.05 m
Height: 11.90 m
First flight: June 17, 1955
Production status: no longer in production
Total production: approx. 200

 

[lordoftheunderworld]

Love nr 7 amazing colours!