What happened
A flight operated by the Romanian Government, featuring a TAROM livery, was conducting a multi-leg journey from Bucharest to Moscow-Vnukovo with a scheduled stop in Kiev. The aircraft was transporting a Romanian delegation at the time of the accident.
During the nighttime approach into Vnukovo, the pilot successfully passed the inner marker and established visual contact with the runway lighting. As the descent continued, air traffic control issued instructions to maintain a level altitude because the aircraft's height was deemed insufficient. Despite this warning, the flight continued its descent. At an altitude of approximately 10 to 15 meters, the aircraft type struck trees and crashed within a wooded area located roughly 500 meters before the runway threshold and 130 meters left of the extended centerline.
The accident resulted in four fatalities, including three crew members and one passenger. Additionally, 12 injuries were reported among the other occupants of the plane.
Findings
Official investigations determined that the crash was caused by a series of errors made by the flight crew during the final approach phase. The pilot-in-command chose to proceed with the approach at an inadequate altitude after seeing the runway lights, disregarding the altitude warning from air traffic controllers. Low visibility and insufficient height led to the impact with trees. Furthermore, investigators identified a lack of adequate training and competency as a contributing factor to the event.