What happened
During the final stages of an otherwise routine flight, the crew received clearance to descend to 2,700 meters and was provided with all necessary arrival information for their destination. After a short period, the flight crew notified air traffic control that they expected to arrive at the airport in approximately eight minutes. Following a visual confirmation of the runway by the pilot, permission was granted to descend further to an altitude of 600 meters.
While the aircraft was maintaining a speed of 350 km/h at an altitude of 1,020 meters, it was positioned in a 7° nose-down attitude with a 3° left bank. During this phase of flight, the plane collided with a mountain slope measuring 1,081 meters in height, located roughly 40 km from the target airport. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, and all 34 occupants were killed.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the primary reason for the collision was a premature descent performed by the pilot-in-command, who proceeded with the approach at an altitude lower than the minimum safe level. Additional contributing elements included limited visibility due to nighttime conditions and insufficient support provided by air traffic control services.