What happened
During a nighttime arrival at Novosibirsk-Severny Airport, the flight crew encountered heavy fog that significantly reduced visibility. While on the initial final approach, the aircraft drifted approximately 300 meters to the left of the glide path. Due to the lack of visual contact with the runway or ground markings, the captain elected to perform a go-around.
A second approach was initiated several minutes later; however, horizontal visibility had decreased to approximately 100 meters. Despite the continued absence of visual references for the runway or terrain, the pilot-in-command proceeded with the descent. The aircraft descended below the established decision height and subsequently struck trees in a forested area located a few kilometers from the runway threshold.
The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft, though no post-crash fire was reported. There were 29 fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft.
Findings
Investigations revealed that visibility levels during the second approach were below the required minimums for landing. The crew failed to transition to an alternate airport despite being unable to establish visual contact with the ground. Ultimately, the decision to continue the descent below the decision height led to a controlled flight into terrain.