What happened
During an approach to runway 03 at Van-Aerit Melen Airport, the flight crew encountered severe weather characterized by heavy snowfall and significantly reduced visibility. While performing a VOR/DME approach, the crew could not visually identify the runway, leading to an initial go-around. The captain briefly decided to divert the flight back to Ankara, but subsequently elected to attempt a second approach to the destination.
During this second attempt, visibility decreased to approximately 300 meters, necessitating another go-around. While attempting a third approach, the aircraft struck a snow-covered hill measuring 70 meters in height, located roughly 4 km from the threshold of runway 03. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft. The accident resulted in 57 fatalities (comprising 5 crew members and 52 passengers) and left 19 others seriously injured.
Findings
Investigations into the accident highlighted that the visibility at the time of the crash was below established minimums. The primary factor in the collision was the failure to maintain adequate altitude during the final approach attempt while operating in heavy snow conditions.