History of the Flight
On 27 February 2005, a Tupolev 154M, registration RA-85644, operated by Aeroflot, departed Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow at 08:10 hours for a flight to Barcelona. The flight was uneventful until the descent phase. The ATC Approach unit (FINAL) instructed the crew to reduce speed. After being directed to the TEBLA point, the crew commenced a non-precision VOR-DME approach to runway 25R. The aircraft was then transferred to the Local Control Tower (LCL TWR). A preceding traffic was present.
The captain decided to execute a go-around from the first approach. A second approach to runway 25R was performed. During this second approach, the aircraft landed on taxiway "T" instead of the intended runway. During the landing roll, the controller informed the crew that they had landed on the taxiway.
Injuries and Damage
No passengers or crew members suffered any injury. The aircraft did not sustain any damage. After landing, the aircraft taxied to the parking area without further incident.
Weather and Conditions
Weather conditions were good, with Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) prevailing.
Investigation Findings
After the investigation, it was established that the incident probably happened because the flight crew mistook taxiway "T" for runway 25R, mainly due to a poor preparation of the flight. The delay in notification of the incident to the investigation authority was attributed to the use of email instead of telephone by the airport services provider; subsequently, a new notification procedure was established.
The flight recorders could not be recovered as the aircraft departed for Moscow after the incident, as the crew believed the authorities had been informed.