What happened
On July 8, 2006, an Airbus A310, registered as F-OGYP, was performing a scheduled passenger service from Domodedovo to Irkutsk. The aircraft, operated by ОАО Aviakompania Sibir, was carrying 195 passengers and 8 crew members at the time of the accident.
Following a routine flight, the aircraft touched down on runway 30 at Irkutsk airport at approximately 22:43. Prior to this flight, maintenance personnel had deactivated the thrust reverser on the left engine due to a known malfunction reported during a previous operation. During the landing roll, the pilot engaged the thrust reverser on the right engine. However, during this process, the left engine unexpectedly increased to forward thrust.
This sudden surge in power caused the aircraft to accelerate and veer toward the right side of the runway. Despite heavy braking attempts by the crew, the Airbus A310 exceeded the runway limits at a speed of roughly 180 kph. The aircraft exited the paved surface, traveled across wet ground, and struck a concrete barrier and several nearby structures. The impact ruptured the fuel tanks, triggering a massive fire that consumed much of the wreckage. The accident resulted in 125 fatalities, including the pilots and three flight attendants.
Findings
Investigations determined that the primary cause was the crew's improper management of engine throttles during the landing roll while operating with one thrust reverser disabled. Specifically, the captain inadvertently moved the left engine throttle from idle to a high-thrust position while attempting to use the right engine's reverse thrust. The co-pilot failed to adequately monitor engine parameters or communicate the developing imbalance, which prevented the crew from correcting the thrust setting or shutting down the engines before the aircraft exited the runway.