Cargo Aircraft Crash on Approach to Asmara-Yohannes IV Airport (UR-UCI)

Incident Overview and Location Details Following an uneventful cargo flight from Burgas, the crew initiated a night approach to Asmara-Yohannes IV Airport. Local patches of fog on the approach resulted in relatively limited visibility. During the final approach, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located 4.3 km short of runway 25 at an altitude of 2,405 metres. The aircraft disintegrated on impact, resulting in the deaths of all 10 occupants. The wreckage was discovered 72 metres below the summit, with remains still present at coordinates N15.304268 E38.959811 as of December 2012. ## Official Findings and Probable Cause The official investigation identified several key factors contributing to the accident. The crew decided to perform a visual approach to runway 25, despite an instrument approach to runway 07 being the normal procedure. Limited visibility due to marginal weather conditions further complicated the approach. Air traffic control cleared the crew for an approach to runway 25, which was non-compliant according to published procedures. Additionally, the crew failed to initiate a go-around procedure. A critical finding was that the total weight of the aircraft at takeoff from Burgas Airport was at least 37 tons above the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), a situation the crew was probably not aware of.