What happened
During a flight originating from Perm, the flight crew initiated their descent toward Sovetskiy Airport. Prior to arrival, the crew received reports indicating that weather conditions at the destination were below operational minimums, specifically noting a ceiling of only 80 meters and horizontal visibility of approximately 2 kilometers.
Despite these unfavorable conditions, the crew proceeded with the approach. In an attempt to establish visual contact with the terrain, the aircraft descended below the minimum descent altitude. While on short final, the aircraft impacted treetops measuring roughly 25 meters in height. Following this impact, the plane banked to the right and crashed into a forested area situated approximately 700 meters before the threshold of runway 30, positioned about 250 meters to the right of the extended centerline. The impact resulted in a post-crash fire. Of the total occupants on board, 32 fatalities were recorded, while eight passengers were successfully rescued.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the accident was primarily caused by an improper approach configuration by the crew, who chose to proceed with the landing despite visibility being below legal limits and descended past the MDA. Several contributing factors were identified during the investigation:
- Inadequate planning for the approach
- Substandard communication and interaction between crew members
- Improper distribution of flight deck duties
- A failure to adhere to established weather minimums
- The decision to continue the descent after passing the MDA
- Failure to execute a go-around procedure