On March 16, 1995, an Antonov AN-26 (registration RA-26084) operated by Central Region Airlines - Avialinii Tsentralnykh Rayonov was involved in an aviation accident near Ossora, Russia during landing or approach. 9 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident was caused by the crew's failure to follow approach procedures and maintain safe altitude above terrain, compounded by operating the aircraft above its maximum allowable weight. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A cargo flight operating between Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Ossora resulted in a fatal accident when the aircraft struck terrain during its approach.
What happened
A cargo mission traveling from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport to Ossora was carrying 4.8 tons of food along with seven crew members and three passengers at the time of the accident. While performing the final turn during the approach to Ossora Airport, the aircraft descended into an area of restricted visibility, reaching an altitude of only 300 meters. Following a Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) alert, the pilot attempted to increase altitude; however, the aircraft struck a hill measuring 376 meters in height approximately 8 km before reaching the runway. The impact caused the airframe to break apart, resulting in ten fatalities and one serious injury.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified several critical errors regarding flight operations and weight limits. The crew did not adhere to the established approach procedures and operated the aircraft outside of the designated approach pattern. Furthermore, the flight was conducted without radar monitoring while descending below the required minimum altitude over hilly terrain. A significant contributing factor was that the aircraft exceeded its maximum takeoff weight by 810 kilograms.
Probable cause
The accident was caused by the crew's failure to follow approach procedures and maintain safe altitude above terrain, compounded by operating the aircraft above its maximum allowable weight.