Accident Overview
On final approach to Diyarbakir Airport at night, the crew faced marginal weather with local patches of fog and limited visibility. The aircraft struck the ground 900 meters short of runway 34 while in a slight nose-down attitude, then burst into flames. Of the occupants, five passengers sustained serious injuries and 75 others were killed.
Approach and Weather Conditions
The crew was executing a VOR/DME approach to runway 34, which lacked an Instrument Landing System (ILS). The approach was conducted at night, and weather conditions were characterized by marginal visibility and local fog patches.
Official Findings
Investigators determined that the crew had established visual contact with the runway lights. However, on short final, the pilot-in-command lost visual contact with the ground for a few seconds due to local patches of fog. This loss of visual reference caused the aircraft to descend below the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) until it impacted the ground 900 meters short of the runway threshold. Poor weather conditions were considered a contributing factor.