Incident Summary
On an uneventful flight from Moscow-Domodedovo Airport, the crew received clearance to land on runway 01 at Kulob Airport. During the approach in heavy snowfall, the aircraft touched down 230 meters past the runway threshold at a speed of 255 km/h. After touchdown, the crew initiated braking. After traveling 520 meters, the right main gear contacted a snow berm. Simultaneously, both engines struck a snow berm up to 95 centimeters high, resulting in engine stoppage due to the ingestion of a large quantity of snow. The aircraft then veered to the right, lost its nose gear, and came to rest in snow 20 meters to the right of the runway, 1,190 meters from the threshold. All 192 occupants evacuated safely, and the aircraft sustained damage beyond repair.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined that the accident was caused by the aircraft colliding with a snow parapet during landing on an unprepared runway. The runway had been cleared to a width of 22 meters (out of a total width of 45 meters), leaving snow parapets 50 to 95 centimeters high along the cleared portion. This collision resulted in the destruction of the front gear leg and flameout of both engines, followed by a runway overrun to the right.
The investigation identified a combination of contributing factors: the flight operation officer's decision to clear the aircraft for landing on an unprepared runway, and the failure of the aerodrome service to place temporary restrictions, make an appropriate note in the "Aerodrome airworthiness log," or take any measures to prevent the aircraft from landing on the unprepared runway.