# Soviet Attitude indicator crashes



## The Basket (Feb 11, 2014)

Watched a programme where the difference between Western and Soviet artificial horizons may have caused crashes. 

In Western aircraft the horizon moves and the wings don't. In soviet aircraft the wings move and the horizon doesn't. 

So a right turn in a western indicator can look like a left turn in a Soviet indicator.

It is said that in a full blown emergency, an old school Russian pilot falls back on his training and flies a Tupelov again instead of an Airbus and end up in the ground because his training is telling him what he is seeing.

Former WarPac and other Soviet allies who now fly Western jets have to be re-trained and un-trained to fly western artificial hirizons.

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## FLYBOYJ (Feb 11, 2014)

I'd like to see documentation of crashes attributed to this. Many former east bloc aircraft operated in the US still have the old soviet style attitude indicator and their owners seem not to have issues with them, although there have been some who removed this and opted for a western system. Additionally some of these aircraft have AC inverters that power these instruments and they are heavy and bulky, another reason for their removal.


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## gumbyk (Feb 11, 2014)

Flyboy, I was sceptical too, until I did a bit of digging to find the differences. Having flown a Chinese aircraft, I would have thought that the AH was the same as the Russian ones. But, here is one reference:
Which way is up for Eastern and Western artificial horizons? - Learmount

One from another forum with pilots who have (tried to) converted pilots from one system to another.
Artificial Horizon, Russian Style - PPRuNe Forums

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## FLYBOYJ (Feb 11, 2014)

Great info!


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## The Basket (Feb 11, 2014)

FLYBOYJ said:


> Great info!



Crossair flight 498.
This is a known issue.


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