What happened
During a nighttime descent toward Košice-Barca Airport, a military transport aircraft operated by the Slovak Air Force (Letectva a Protivzdu Obrany-snej Slovenskej) crashed into a forested, snow-covered region near Telkibánya, Hungary. The flight was returning to Slovakia from Pristina, Kosovo, transporting personnel associated with the KFOR contingent, including 28 soldiers, 7 logisticians, and 8 crew members.
The impact occurred approximately 20 km southeast of the threshold for runway 01. The aircraft was destroyed following a high-impact collision with trees and a subsequent post-crash fire. Of the occupants on board, 42 fatalities were recorded, while one passenger sustained serious injuries.
At the time of the accident, meteorological conditions were reported as favorable, featuring a visibility of 10 km and a cloud ceiling of 5,000 feet.
Findings
Investigations into the crash determined that the crew experienced a loss of both vertical and situational orientation. During the transition from instrument flight to a visual approach for Košice, the pilots failed to configure the radio altimeter. Consequently, the crew underestimated the altitude of the terrain in the immediate vicinity of the aircraft's flight path, leading to non-compliance with required safety altitudes.