Accident Details
After departing from Sukhumi Airport, the crew proceeded southeast toward Kutaisi at an altitude of 1,200 meters. Poor weather conditions were encountered, with clouds between 600 and 1,000 meters. A navigation error caused the aircraft to deviate 17 kilometers to the north. The aircraft struck trees and crashed in flames on the north slope of Mount Rech (1,436 meters high), located near Tkvarcheli. The wreckage was discovered the following day. The aircraft was completely destroyed by the impact forces and a subsequent post-crash fire. All 31 occupants were killed.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined that the accident resulted from a navigation error by the crew, leading to the aircraft being off track by 17 kilometers to the north. Several contributing factors were identified. The crew had been hastily assigned a complex routing the day prior to the accident. Despite the complexity, the company failed to include a navigator or a mechanic in the crew. Poor flight preparation and inadequate weather assessment were noted. The crew did not fix their position after departing Sukhumi. There was an absence of radio monitoring by Sukhumi services. Meteorologists did not inform the pilots about wind components and weather conditions along the route. Shortcomings in ATC services were also cited, as the person responsible for following the aircraft was a trainee who was not authorized to work independently. For a period of 20 minutes (corresponding to a distance of 100 kilometers), the crew received no ATC messages regarding their position or flight path.
Probable Cause
The accident was the consequence of a navigation error on the part of the crew, causing the aircraft to be off track by 17 kilometers to the north.