What happened
The incident occurred while the aircraft was on final approach to Salalah Airport. The descent began under marginal weather conditions characterized by low clouds. During the approach phase, the airplane impacted a hill located a few kilometers from the airport perimeter. The collision resulted in the immediate death of eleven occupants. One crew member sustained serious injuries and passed away the following day due to those wounds.
Findings
Investigations indicated that the minimum safe altitude for the descent was established at 5,000 feet. However, likely due to reduced visibility from low cloud cover, the crew continued the descent below this limit, reaching approximately 3,000 feet. This deviation caused the aircraft to collide with the terrain. The event is classified as a controlled flight into terrain.