Flight Crew and Preflight
On 10 January 2020, the crew of Airbus A321 with registration VQ-BRS, operated by OOO "Severny Veter" (Severny Veter LLC), conducted charter flight N4-1801 from Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO) to Antalya, Turkey. The aircraft carried no passengers or cargo. According to the crew, the rest period between shifts was at least the required duration. The captain stated that he arrived from Ufa on 8 January at 19:40 Moscow time, slept that night, visited the company office on the morning of 9 January, returned home at noon, and rested from approximately 15:00 to 20:00 before departing for the flight at about 01:10 on 10 January. The first officer reported having had full rest before the flight and last flew on 8 January. They had previously operated flight N4-380 from Ufa to Moscow Sheremetyevo, with the captain serving as pilot monitoring and the first officer as pilot flying.
On 9 January, after arriving at Sheremetyevo, the crew began preflight preparations. At 23:25 during a briefing, they received flight documentation including meteorological information; the forecast and actual weather along the route, at alternate airports, and at the destination were in accordance with the flight plan, and the captain justifiably decided to proceed. Between 23:40 and 00:00, the crew underwent a medical examination at the Sheremetyevo airport medical station. The aircraft's takeoff mass was 59,200 kg with a center of gravity at 19.66% of mean aerodynamic chord, both within the limits specified in the FCOM.
Flight Details
Takeoff occurred at 01:46 on 10 January. The crew operated in a fixed composition, with the captain as the pilot flying. The flight proceeded at cruising levels FL370 and FL350. During the flight, the crew noted no issues with aircraft systems.
Weather and Communications
While en route, at 01:50 and 03:20, the crew obtained actual weather reports in METAR format for the landing airport Antalya and the alternate Ankara via the ACARS system. The ATIS was not heard due to the influence of mountainous terrain.