What happened
During a series of training exercises at Chișinău Airport, an aircraft carrying four instructors and seven student pilots was performing maneuvers involving simulated engine failures. The crew attempted to execute a new approach while operating with engines number 3 and 4 inoperative. During the final stage of this approach, the plane experienced a left bank and a loss of altitude, leading to a high-impact crash several kilometers before reaching the runway threshold. The impact resulted in a massive explosion that completely destroyed the aircraft. There were 11 fatalities among the crew members.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several critical errors regarding flight technique and decision-making during the missed approach. The primary cause was attributed to inadequate flying techniques and improper decisions made during a go-around under conditions where continuing the flight on two engines was unsafe.
Several contributing factors were documented:
- The aircraft's speed and altitude during the maneuver were lower than the required minimums.
- An instructor's decision to initiate a go-around occurred too late in the sequence.
- Power application to the left engine was insufficient and inappropriate for the flight state.
- The aircraft drifted 1,850 meters away from its intended approach path.
- The 2,000-meter length of the Chișinău Airport runway was deemed inadequate for an approach with two engines out.
- The crew did not notify Air Traffic Control that they were performing an approach with two engines inoperative.