What happened
On October 3, 2019, an An-12BK, registration UR-CAH, operated by Ukraine-Air Alliance, was performing flight UKL4050 from Vigo, Spain, to Lviv, Ukraine. The aircraft was carrying approximately 14,078 kg of vehicle spare parts. During the approach to Lviv, the flight crew was following an ILS approach for runway 31 under low visibility procedures due to heavy fog and low vertical visibility.
As the aircraft transitioned from area control to the Lviv Tower controller, the crew was provided with weather updates indicating a runway visual range of approximately 800 meters and vertical visibility of 60 meters. After receiving landing clearance, the aircraft began its final descent. Flight data indicates that at a distance of 7.58 km from the touchdown point, the aircraft was 11 meters below the glide path. As the approach continued, the aircraft remained below the glide path, reaching an altitude of 105 meters at 3 km from the threshold.
Upon reaching the decision height at an altitude of 60 meters, an audible warning alarm was triggered in the cockpit, but there was no response from the crew. At a distance of 1,348 meters from the runway threshold, the aircraft, flying at an altitude of only 5 to 7 meters, struck trees. The impact caused the aircraft to crash to the ground, coming to rest 1,117 meters from the runway threshold. The accident resulted in five fatalities and three serious injuries.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating in heavy fog with extremely low vertical visibility.
- The aircraft was flying significantly below the established glide path during the final stages of the approach.
- The crew failed to respond to the cockpit's audible warning alarm at the decision height.