What happened
During an arrival from Chernivtsi, the flight crew began their descent toward Kyiv-Zhuliany Airport under conditions of low visibility caused by snowfall and fog. As the aircraft type approached the runway threshold, it drifted below the established glideslope approximately 2,500 metres from the landing area. The crew proceeded with the approach despite failing to establish visual contact with the runway after passing the decision height.
While navigating through horizontal visibility of 600 metres and vertical visibility of only 50 metres, the plane struck the concrete base of an inner marker located 1,265 metres before the runway. Following this impact, the aircraft rolled for 115 metres before coming to rest on a railway embankment. The accident resulted in 48 fatalities and 7 serious injuries.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the primary factor was an incorrect approach configuration by the flight crew, specifically descending below the decision height without visual reference to the runway. Additionally, inaccuracies in information provided by Air Traffic Control at Kyiv-Zhuliany Airport were identified as contributing elements to the accident.