What happened
During a night flight originating from Safonovo NAS (Severomorsk), the crew initiated a descent toward Lakhta AFB under challenging meteorological conditions. The area was experiencing snow squalls, with visibility limited to 1,500 metres and cloud ceilings as low as 120 metres.
As the aircraft approached the runway threshold, it was positioned approximately 2,700 metres out and was flying 30 metres below the established glide path. Upon reaching the decision altitude, the pilot elected to proceed with the landing attempt despite a lack of visual contact with the ground. While maintaining a speed between 220 and 240 km/h, the aircraft descended to a height of 16 metres before the right wing made contact with trees.
The subsequent impact occurred in a snow-covered field, situated 1,725 metres short of the runway and 52 metres to the left of the extended centerline. The accident resulted in 17 fatalities and 3 survivors, including the pilot. The aircraft was completely destroyed during the impact.
Findings
- The flight was conducted in poor weather featuring low visibility and snow.
- The pilot continued the approach below decision altitude without visual ground contact.