Accident Overview
On a flight from Rome to Pristina, a chartered aircraft operating for the World Food Program crashed into a mountain while attempting to land. The meteorological conditions at Pristina Airport included visibility of 4,000 meters and a compact cloud layer at 3,000 feet. The aircraft was in radar and radio contact with military air traffic control for an instrument landing system (ILS) approach.
While outbound to the north at an altitude of 4,600 feet, the aircraft entered a sector where the minimum safety altitude is 6,900 feet. During a turn to return toward the airport, it struck a mountain with a peak at 4,650 feet. The wreckage was found approximately 15 meters below the summit, about 18 kilometers northeast of Kosovska Mitrovica and 42 kilometers north of Pristina Airport. All 24 occupants were killed.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined that the collision with high ground was due to several factors. Teamwork lacked procedural discipline and vigilance during maneuvers in a mountainous region with poor visibility. A military controller, unused to the mountainous environment and to preventing collision risks, kept the aircraft on its track and then forgot it. The operator's critical situation as a new company highly dependent on a lease contract favored a failure to respect procedures. Additionally, the aerodrome was opened to civil traffic without an advance evaluation of operating conditions or distribution of aeronautical information.
Contributing Factors
The investigation identified contributing factors: crew fatigue, which lowered vigilance, and undertaking the flight with an unserviceable or disconnected Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS).