On December 13, 1993, an Antonov AN-8 (registration RA-13323) operated by Kadvi Company was involved in an aviation accident near Yerevan-Zvartnots, Armenia during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident was the consequence of the combination of the following factors: - Poor approach planning, - The crew failed to follow the approach pattern, - Lack of captain's experience, - The aircraft was unstable on approach, - No corrective action on part… This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
A night cargo flight to Yerevan struck the ground about 150 meters short of the runway threshold at Zvartnots Airport after becoming unstable on approach. All eight occupants sustained minor injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Incident Description
The crew of a night cargo flight was completing an approach to Zvartnots Airport in Yerevan. On final approach at a speed of 180-190 km/h, the aircraft became unstable, lost height, and struck the ground approximately 150 meters short of the runway threshold, experiencing a positive acceleration of 4 g at impact. The aircraft crashed and was damaged beyond repair. All eight occupants escaped with minor injuries.
Investigation and Probable Cause
Official investigation findings determined that the accident resulted from a combination of the following factors: poor approach planning; the crew failed to follow the approach pattern; lack of captain's experience; the aircraft was unstable on approach; no corrective action on part of the crew; the crew positioned the throttle below flight idle, causing negative thrust and a loss of ground speed and altitude; shortcomings in crew interactions expressed in the absence of control by the copilot about the throttle position during the late stage of flight; failure of the crew to initiate a go-around procedure.
These factors collectively led to the aircraft's descent below the intended flight path and the subsequent impact short of the runway.