What happened
A scheduled flight operated by the Russian Air Force, traveling from Moscow to Batumi, crashed while approaching its destination. The flight was part of a regular bi-monthly service used to transport military personnel and their families back to their base in Batumi following a period of leave.
Due to adverse weather conditions located to the west of the airport, air traffic controllers instructed the crew to perform an approach to runway 31 from the northeast. This deviated from the standard arrival procedure, which typically involves approaching runway 13 from the sea.
During the descent, the aircraft was traveling at a speed of 340 km/h at an altitude of 940 metres. While operating in low visibility, the aircraft type struck the side of Mt Mtirala, a peak reaching 1336 metres, situated approximately 17 km northeast of the airport. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, and there were 84 fatalities among the passengers and crew.
Findings
- The crew was executing an alternative approach pattern due to poor weather conditions near the airfield.
- The collision occurred during the descent phase of the flight.