Qualla: 1995 Borodianka Mid-Air Collision

1995 Borodianka Mid-Air Collision: Introduction

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

At nine minutes past four on the afternoon of 10 February 1995, over the flat winter fields of Borodianka Raion northwest of Kyiv, two aircraft that were meant to be flying together came fatally too close. One was the first prototype of the Antonov An-70, a brand-new heavy transport plane on which years of design work and national aviation pride had been staked. The other was an An-72, a smaller jet flying alongside as a chase and support aircraft for the test. In an instant, formation flying became catastrophe. The An-70 came down, and all seven people aboard were lost. The An-72, damaged, managed to limp back and land safely at Hostomel. What was supposed to be a proving flight became a day of mourning.

1995 Borodianka Mid-Air Collision: The Seven Aboard

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Test flying is among the most demanding work in aviation. The people who do it climb into machines that have never been fully proven, precisely so that the flaws can be found before ordinary passengers or crews ever board. The seven aboard the An-70 that day were doing exactly th...

1995 Borodianka Mid-Air Collision: A Formation That Went Wrong

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The two Antonov aircraft were flying in coordination - the An-72 assisting the An-70 through its test regime, a common and necessary practice, but one that leaves no margin for error. Aircraft flying in close formation depend utterly on precise, disciplined maneuvering; the space...

1995 Borodianka Mid-Air Collision: Warning Signs in the Sky

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The accident did not come without hints of trouble. The An-70 was still very early in its life - this was the first prototype, and it had made only a handful of test flights before the fatal one. Those earlier flights had not been trouble-free. Investigators noted that flight con...

1995 Borodianka Mid-Air Collision: The Fields Near Borodianka

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The crash gave a quiet corner of Kyiv Oblast an unexpected place in aviation history. Borodianka Raion, spread across the plains west of the capital, lies within reach of Hostomel Airport - itself long associated with the Antonov design bureau and its enormous aircraft. It was to...