What happened
On a scheduled night flight from Beirut, Lebanon, to Kuwait, the aircraft began its descent toward the destination following standard procedures. After passing the DY NDB, the pilot-in-command elected to perform a visual approach. The crew descended to flight level 95 and subsequently passed the DY NDB at approximately 2039 hours GMT, receiving clearance to descend to 3,000 feet.
Navigating via ADF indications from the MG NDB, the aircraft established itself on a left-hand base leg for runway 33R. As the flight descended through 5,000 feet, the crew reported seeing airport lights and the rotating beacon, leading to clearance for the final approach. During this phase, the aircraft was being operated via autopilot with a descent rate of 1,500 ft/min and an airspeed of 178 kt. The co-pilot was focused on completing landing checklists while the autopilot was programmed to acquire a specific height.
Shortly before impact, the aircraft was at 1,830 feet, positioned nearly abeam the MG NDB. Approximately 80 seconds later, the aircraft type struck the ground at an elevation of roughly 185 feet, located about 4 km short of the runway threshold and slightly left of the centerline. The accident occurred at approximately 2046 hours GMT.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified several contributing factors related to flight management and procedural compliance. A primary factor was a high rate of descent that exceeded the desired parameters for the approach. While the crew attempted to correct the descent by increasing engine power to 10,500 rpm, this action was insufficient to stabilize the aircraft's flight path.
Furthermore, the pilot-in-command failed to adhere to established company regulations and the specific procedures outlined in the operations manual for approaching and landing this aircraft type. At the time of the impact, the crew was still performing cockpit checklists. Additionally, an error was noted regarding altimeter settings, as the pilot-in-command had utilized QNH instead of the required QFE.