The official investigation into the crash of Yuri Gagarin and Vladimir Seryogin concluded that the aircraft and its systems were fully functional. The commission attributed the accident to Seryogin, claiming he violated flight regulations by conducting maneuvers behind clouds. However, the Combat Training Course for Fighter Aviation (KBP IA-67) allowed such exercises if altitude ranges were met.
Technical analysis suggests a failure to properly synchronize the DGMK-3 remote gyro-magnetic compass after aerobatics. Gagarin, likely unaware of his actual heading of 70 degrees, relied on a misaligned course indicator set to 320 degrees. The lack of integration between the gyro system and the ARK-5 radio compass on the MiG-15UTI model complicated instrument navigation in blind conditions.
Upon entering cloud cover, which had a top layer at 1,500 meters and a bottom layer at 600 meters, Gagarin likely experienced a spatial illusion of pitching up. This led him to reflexively push the control stick forward, sending the 4.5-ton aircraft into a steep dive. The plane struck the ground at a speed of approximately 670 km/h on a heading of 185 degrees.
The investigation noted a discrepancy between the actual crash heading and the readings on the УК-3 course indicators, which froze at 275 and 285 degrees. When calculated against the initial 320-degree setting, the difference is 45 and 35 degrees respectively. Statistics indicate that 15% of aviation accidents are linked to spatial illusions, with 90% of those cases resulting in fatalities.
