Crash site	Copenhagen harbour, Denmark
Airline	Aeroflot
Aircraft	Ilyushin II-14P  –  CCCP-L1874
Route	Moscow  –  Riga  –  Copenhagen
Crew	5  –  0 survivors
Passengers	18  –  0 survivors

 

The crash

When approaching Copenhagen the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds, fog and limited visibility. At 06:17 the plane passed over the Kastrup airport and the crew were instructed to start a new approach to runway 12. Due to low visibility the pilot reduced his altitude in an attempt to establish visual contact with the ground, but he was far too low. At 06:25 the plane hit the chimney of the Ørsted Electric Factory loosing the right wing and crashed into the Sydhavnen canal 6.7 km short of the runway. The plane sank at 5 meters depth.
The Danish and Russian crash investigators came to very different conclusions as to the reason for the crash.

 

The mail

On board the plane was 20 kilos of mail which was brought to the Post Office at Copenhagen airport, where it was dried and sorted out. Most of the mail was addressed to Denmark or the Netherlands.
The Danish mail was forwarded to the recipients in the standard Danish service cover (type J6 or type J7) together with a special label.
The labels were printed in sheets of more labels and smaller variations exists. The labels were always dated with a small violet handstamp 17 AUG. 1957.

 

A-a.
Danish label.
Size textblock:  96 x 31 mm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A-b.
Danish label.
Size textblock:  96 x 31 mm.

Same as A-a. but note the low “ø” in line 4.

 

 

 

 

 

A-c.
Danish label.
Size textblock:  96 x 31 mm.

The third line shift after “forulykke-“.

 

 

 

A-d.
Danish label.
Size textblock:  99 x 31 mm.

The third line shift after “forulykkede”.
Between the “÷” and the “M” there are 3 keystrokes.

 

 

A-e.
Danish label.
Size textblock:  99 x 31 mm.

The third line shift after “forulykkede”.
Between the “÷” and the “M” there are 4 keystrokes.

 

Translation of the text on the labels:

The enclosed item comes from the mail which was carried by the Russian plane that crashed at Copenhagen on the 15th this month.
The Reexpedition Post Office, the

 

 

B-a.
Danish service cover.
Size:  214 x 150 mm.
Type:  J 6 (3-54).

 

 

 

B-b.
Danish service cover.
Size:  257 x 210 mm.
Type:  J 7 (6-55).

Same as B-a. but larger.

 

 

 

 

 

Examples of mail

Cover from the Soviet Union with Moscow postmark MOCKBA 12 8 57 to Brønshøj, Denmark. The watersoaked cover was forwarded in service cover type B-a. and label type A-a. Thiesen Collection.
Postcard written in Danish from the Soviet Union with Moscow postmark dated 10.8.57 to Denmark. The watersoaked card was forwarded with label type A-c. Thiesen Collection.
Postcard from the Soviet Union with Moscow postmark dated 10.8.57 to Denmark. The stamp had fallen off and are glued into place again. The watersoaked card was forwarded in service cover type B-a. and label type A-d. Thiesen Collection.
Postal stationery envelope from the Soviet Union with postmark RIGA  RSS DE LETTONIE 10-8-57 to Sønderborg. Crash label type A-e. Thiesen Collection.
Large-size cover from the Soviet Union with illigible postmark to Copenhagen, Denmark. The stamps which are not cancelled had fallen off and are glued onto the cover again. The torn cover was forwarded in the larger service cover type B-b. with label type A-a. Thiesen Collection.