What happened
During an approach to Sochi-Adler Airport from Simferopol, the crew of a four-engine aircraft was instructed to descend through several altitudes, specifically 1,200 meters, 600 meters, and finally 500 meters. Upon reaching the target altitude, the flight entered an area characterized by marginal weather conditions and heavy cloud cover. During this phase of flight, the aircraft impacted treetops and crashed into a dense forest approximately 21 km southeast of the airport. The impact resulted in a large-scale fire that completely destroyed the airframe. Debris from the wreckage was found spread across an area measuring roughly 300 meters by 150 meters. There were 81 fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the flight crew was operating under an approach route that had not been officially utilized by the air traffic control center at Sochi-Adler Airport. It was determined that airport authorities had implemented changes to approach patterns and procedures without receiving necessary approval from the Soviet State Aviation Authority, leaving the crew unaware of the new protocols.
Several contributing factors were identified in the accident:
- Unauthorized changes to approach procedures by airport authorities
- Ineffective coordination between state and airport-level officials
- Reduced visibility caused by cloud cover
- Insufficient support from air traffic control services
- Errors and improper decision-making by ATC personnel
- Limited crew familiarity with the local geography
- Deficiencies in crew training regarding operations in mountainous terrain