Incident Overview
A military aircraft conducting a local training mission at Migalovo AFB was involved in a hard landing during night operations. The crew was performing touch-and-go manoeuvres when the aircraft approached the runway in a nose-down attitude. The nose gear made initial contact with the ground, striking the runway hard and subsequently penetrating the aircraft's floor structure just behind the cockpit.
Aircraft Damage
The impact caused significant structural damage. The nose gear's penetration into the fuselage resulted in wrinkling of the airframe. The aircraft slid for several dozen metres before coming to a stop on the runway. The extent of the damage rendered the aircraft beyond economical repair, with the fuselage wrinkled and structural integrity compromised.
Crew Evacuation
All four crew members on board evacuated the aircraft safely following the incident. No injuries were reported among the crew.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was a wrong approach configuration, which led to the aircraft landing nose-first with high aerodynamic acceleration. The findings did not specify any other contributing factors.