1973 Paris Air Show Tupolev Tu-144 crash
СССР-77102, the Tupolev Tu-144S involved in the accident, photographed May 1973, 1 month before the crash | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 3 June 1973 |
| Summary | Crashed after in-flight structural failure |
| Site | |
| Total fatalities | 14 |
| Total injuries | 60 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Tupolev Tu-144S |
| Operator | Aeroflot |
| Registration | СССР-77102 |
| Flight origin | Paris–Le Bourget Airport |
| Destination | Paris–Le Bourget Airport |
| Occupants | 6 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 6 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Ground casualties | |
| Ground fatalities | 8 |
| Ground injuries | 60 |
On 3 June 1973, the second production model of the Soviet supersonic Tupolev Tu-144 airliner was destroyed in a crash during the 1973 Paris Air Show. The aircraft disintegrated in the air while performing extreme manoeuvres and fell on the town of Goussainville, Val-d'Oise, France, killing all six crew members and eight people on the ground. The crash ended the development program of the Tupolev Tu-144. The official inquest did not conclusively determine the cause of the accident and several theories have been proposed.