Event Summary
During an approach to Moscow-Sheremetyevo Airport in marginal weather conditions, the crew initiated a go-around for an unknown reason. On the second approach, at a distance of 5 km from the threshold of runway 07, air traffic control informed the crew that the aircraft's position was 15 meters below the glide path. Shortly thereafter, the airplane nosed down and crashed in a huge explosion 4,330 meters short of the runway. The aircraft disintegrated on impact, and all 25 occupants were killed.
Probable Cause
The commission considered that the most probable cause of the accident was an adverse combination of the following factors:
- Icing of the stabilizer (probably due to lack of heating in the leading edge),
- A pitch manoeuvre executed to correct a deviation from the glide path which resulted in a g-loading of 0.6 – 0.5,
- Extension of the flaps to the full landing setting, which had the effect of degrading the airflow over the lower surface of the stabilizer and, consequently, of producing loads on the control column which promoted a further increase in the negative g-loading and prevented recovery of the aircraft from the developing nosedive.
Owing to the destruction of the aircraft, it was not possible to check the actual functioning of the stabilizer deicing system.