What happened
During a scheduled international cargo flight traveling from Zurich via Geneva, Shannon, and Gander toward New York, the Airbus A300 (not explicitly registered, but identified as 'Zürich') was diverted to Sydney, Nova Scotia, by air traffic control due to adverse weather conditions near Gander. While performing the final approach, the aircraft descended below the required altitude and struck three approach light poles.
Following the collision, the pilot attempted to increase engine power; however, the left engines sustained damage from the impact and failed to provide adequate thrust. This loss of power led to a stall on the left wing, causing the Airbus A300 to crash into flames a short distance before reaching the runway. All 31 occupants successfully evacuated the aircraft, and the crew managed to suppress the initial fire. However, approximately thirty minutes after the evacuation, a second fire broke out on the left side of the airframe, which resulted in the partial destruction of the plane.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the accident was caused by the pilot's failure to maintain enough altitude to clear the approach light structures. The subsequent impact with the poles caused critical malfunctions in engines number 1 and 2, as well as significant structural damage to the left wing and flaps, rendering the aircraft uncontrollable.