What happened
During a flight originating from Kiev-Borispol destined for Ivano-Frankivsk, the crew encountered low visibility conditions. Because the flight crew lacked prior experience operating at Ivano-Frankivsk, they misidentified an agricultural airstrip located approximately 17 km away from the intended destination of Ivano-Frankivsk International Airport as their target runway.
The aircraft attempted to land on this secondary strip, which measured only 500 meters in length. Due to the insufficient runway distance, the aircraft type overran the end of the pavement and entered a ravine. The impact caused the airframe to break into two separate sections. Despite the significant damage to the plane, all 65 occupants managed to evacuate the wreckage without sustaining any injuries.
Findings
Investigations into the incident highlighted that the crew's lack of familiarity with the destination airport contributed to the error. The primary factor was inadequate flight preparation regarding the landing site, combined with the use of an airstrip that was not appropriate for an aircraft of this size.