What happened
On the night of March 18, 2016, a Flydubai flight operating from Dubai to Rostov-on-Don, involving a Boeing 737-8KN registered A6-FDN, began its journey. After departing Dubai, the aircraft reached a cruising altitude of 36,000 feet and maintained this level for the duration of the flight. During the initial descent into Rostov-on-Don, the crew contacted air traffic control to confirm local weather and runway information. While following the glide path for runway 22, the aircraft's onboard systems triggered a windshear warning, prompting the crew to notify controllers of the conditions.
At approximately 22:42, the crew executed a go-around from an altitude of 1,080 feet. The aircraft subsequently entered a holding pattern at various altitudes. At 00:23 on March 19, the crew requested a second ILS approach. During this second attempt, the crew disengaged the autopilot and autothrottle at specific altitudes. While performing this second approach, the crew initiated another go-around at 830 feet. Shortly after reaching 3,350 feet, the aircraft entered a steep descent. At 00:41, the aircraft struck the ground approximately 120 meters from the threshold of runway 22 with a significant nose-down pitch and high airspeed. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, and there were 62 fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
- The aircraft encountered windshear during the initial approach attempt.
- A second go-around was initiated during the subsequent approach attempt.