What happened
On August 5, 2001, a cargo flight operating from Gdansk, Poland, to Louisville, Kentucky, was conducting a multi-leg journey involving several technical stops for refueling. After departing Keflavik, Iceland, the crew proceeded toward their destination in Greenland. During the descent toward Narsarsubuaq, the aircraft transitioned from controlled airspace to Narsarsuaq Flight Information Service (FIS) and subsequently contacted Narsarsuaq AFIS.
At the time of the approach, the aircraft was descending through various altitudes, passing FL 195 and later FL 130. The crew briefed the NDB/DME approach for runway 07. As the aircraft progressed, cockpit callouts indicated the plane was passing 6 nm and 8 nm from the NDB, and eventually reached the base leg. The pilot in command ordered the landing gear to be extended.
At approximately 04:42, the First Officer reported being on final approach for runway 07. Despite the AFIS operator providing wind information and confirming the runway was clear, the aircraft struck mountainous terrain at an elevation of approximately 700 feet MSL, roughly 4.5 nm southwest of the aerodrome. The impact occurred while the aircraft was in its landing configuration. Following the impact, the AFIS operator attempted to contact the crew multiple times, but no response was received.
Findings
- The flight crew failed to utilize checklists, altitude checks, or Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) during the descent and approach phases.
- The lack of adherence to standard operating procedures and altitude monitoring during the descent led to the impact with terrain.