Accident Details
On a flight from Simferopol to Sochi-Adler Airport, the crew was cleared to descend to 1,200 meters, then 600 meters, and finally to 500 meters. When the aircraft reached that altitude, the weather was marginal. The four-engine aircraft entered a cloudy area and struck tree tops, crashing in flames into a dense wooded area located 21 kilometers southeast of the airport. The airplane was totally destroyed, and debris were scattered over an area measuring 300 meters by 150 meters. All 81 occupants were killed.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation into the accident identified that the crew was following an approach route that was not used by air traffic control based at Sochi-Adler Airport. It was determined that the Sochi Airport authorities had decided to change the approach pattern and procedures without approval from the Soviet State Aviation Authority. Furthermore, flight crews were not informed of these modifications. The investigation listed several contributing factors: poor coordination between state and airport authorities, lack of visibility due to clouds, lack of assistance from ATC, inadequacies and wrong decisions on the part of ATC, lack of knowledge about the Sochi area, and lack of crew training in mountainous terrain.