What happened
Shortly after departing Dinjan Airport, the flight encountered deteriorating weather conditions characterized by heavy rainfall and stormy activity. In response to these conditions, the captain initiated a return to the departure airfield. However, visibility degraded significantly due to the precipitation, causing the pilot to lose spatial orientation. To maintain visual reference with the terrain, the aircraft was lowered in altitude. This maneuver resulted in a collision with treetops as the plane entered a dense wooded area located roughly 30 km west of Sadiya. The impact caused the airframe to break apart, with both wings separating from the fuselage and landing several hundred yards away from the main wreckage. All three crew members were killed in the accident.
Findings
Investigations indicated that the aircraft was not following its prescribed flight path at the time of the incident. The primary contributing factor was the encounter with severe thunderstorm activity, which led to poor visibility and a loss of orientation for the pilot. The structural failure of the wings during the final moments of the flight was noted in the physical evidence recovered from the crash site.