Incident Overview
On approach to Ust-Nera Airport following an uneventful flight from Khandyga, the crew mistook the new runway 85 (still under construction) for the operational runway 75 in poor visibility. When air traffic control (ATC) realized the error, they twice ordered the crew to go around, but the crew failed to comply and touched down on runway 85.
Sequence of Events
During the landing run, at a speed of 158 km/h, the captain attempted to go around. However, the check pilot aborted this attempt some seconds later. The confused flight engineer retracted the landing gear, and the aircraft came to rest on its belly, suffering substantial damage. Fortunately, all 5 crew and 24 passengers escaped unhurt.
Findings
The official investigation reported the following findings:
- Poor approach and landing planning,
- The crew descended below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) without visual contact with the runway,
- The crew failed to comply with ATC instructions,
- Poor crew coordination,
- The flight engineer mistakenly raised the landing gear while the aircraft was still on the ground.