What happened
On September 13, 2008, an Aeroflot-Nord flight carrying 82 passengers and 6 crew members was operating a domestic service from Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport to Perm's Bolshoye Savino Airport. The aircraft, a B737-505 with registration VP-BKO, departed Moscow at 21:13. The flight proceeded normally through the climb and cruise phases at 29,000 feet.
During the descent toward Perm, the crew followed instructions from Perm Approach Control to navigate toward the initial approach fix for Runway 21. After passing the outer marker and performing a turn to intercept the localizer for the ILS approach, the aircraft was flying on a heading of 110 degrees. At an altitude of approximately 600 meters, the crew had disengaged both the autopilot and autothrottle systems.
While maneuvering for the landing course, the aircraft began an unplanned climb to 1,300 meters and entered a 360-degree roll over the left wing. The aircraft subsequently struck the ground 12.4 km from the Perm Airport reference point. The impact and subsequent fire resulted in 88 fatalities, leaving no survivors among the passengers or crew.
Findings
Pre-flight data indicated that the aircraft's takeoff weight, landing weight, and center of gravity were all within the permitted operational limits for the aircraft type. The crew had completed all necessary medical clearances and pre-flight briefings in accordance with standard procedures. The accident occurred during the final approach phase while the aircraft was being manually flown.