What happened
During an approach toward a coastal region intended for landing at an unidentified airfield, the flight crew encountered dense fog that prevented them from visually identifying the runway. In an attempt to navigate the conditions, the captain maneuvered the aircraft away from the coastline and over the ocean.
Shortly after moving over the sea, the pilot instructed all 16 crew members to exit the aircraft via parachute. Following the evacuation, the aircraft impacted the water. Emergency response efforts successfully recovered 15 occupants, though one fatality was confirmed during the incident.
Findings
- The primary difficulty encountered by the crew was the presence of thick fog, which obscured the target airport from view during the approach phase.