What happened
During a night approach to runway 35 at Peshawar Airport, an aircraft experienced a fatal descent error. The flight was operating in conditions of limited visibility due to darkness. While on final approach, the co-pilot, who was acting as the pilot in command, allowed the aircraft to descend beneath the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA). During this unauthorized descent, the aircraft impacted a dyke and flipped over, coming to rest roughly 10 km short of the runway threshold.
The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft. Of the people on board, 13 fatalities were recorded, while 41 injuries were reported among the other occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified two primary human factors contributing to the crash. The co-pilot was performing a route check during the approach and did not execute a go-around procedure despite the aircraft dropping below the required altitude. Simultaneously, the captain was distracted from his duties and failed to properly monitor the altitude or supervise the actions of the co-pilot.