Fatal Cargo Flight Crash Near Batagay Airport (CCCP-11418)

Incident Overview and Flight Details A four-engine aircraft was operating a cargo flight from Tiksi to Irkutsk with an intermediate stop at Batagay Airport. The aircraft carried six crew members and a cargo load of 15.5 tons of apples. The descent to Batagay Airport began at night under marginal weather conditions, which limited visibility and prevented the crew from establishing visual contact with the ground or the airport. ## Approach and Impact For unknown reasons, the crew, particularly the captain, did not follow the prescribed approach procedures and instead used a procedure intended only for visual flight rules (VFR) approaches. This led to the aircraft descending below the minimum prescribed altitude, triggering a ground proximity warning system (GPWS) alert in the cockpit. The captain disengaged the GPWS alarm and continued the descent. At a speed of 355 km/h, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located 25 km from Batagay Airport. The aircraft was in a right bank of 22 degrees when it crashed and disintegrated on snow-covered ground. All six occupants were killed. ## Official Findings The official probable cause was poor approach planning and an incorrect approach configuration by the crew, who continued the descent below the minimum descent altitude. After the GPWS warning sounded, the captain deactivated the system and continued the approach without visual contact with the ground or the airport. Under those conditions, the crew should have initiated a go-around procedure.