What happened
During an arrival at Jinan Airport, an aircraft encountered significantly reduced visibility caused by freezing fog. While on final approach, the flight was positioned too high above the runway surface, which subsequently led to the aircraft touching down much further down the runway than intended. Due to the lack of remaining runway length, the pilot was unable to decelerate the plane sufficiently before it exited the paved surface. The aircraft overran the runway and entered a ravine, where a post-crash fire erupted. The accident resulted in 38 fatalities and left three passengers seriously injured.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the flight crew utilized an incorrect approach configuration. This error contributed to the aircraft landing too far down the runway, which critically reduced the available stopping distance. Additional contributing factors included the crew's failure to execute a go-around despite the deteriorating situation and the presence of freezing fog which obscured visibility.