What happened
On August 31, 2018, a Boeing 737-800, registration VQ-BJI, operated by UTair, was performing scheduled flight UT 579 from Moscow Vnukovo to Sochi Adler. Prior to departure, the crew received meteorological information during their briefing at 19:50 and completed medical examinations at 20:15. The aircraft had undergone its daily maintenance check the previous day at Vnukovo.
The flight departed Vnukovo at 21:33, maintaining an altitude of FL 350 in automatic mode without any deviations. Upon entering the Sochi airfield zone, the crew received approach and descent instructions along with local weather updates from the tower controller. During the initial approach, the captain took control of the aircraft at an altitude of approximately 30 meters and initiated a go-around because heavy rain had reduced visibility of the runway.
During the subsequent second approach, the crew landed the aircraft approximately 1,285 meters from the runway threshold. Despite efforts to stop the aircraft, the crew was unable to halt the Boeing 737-800 on the runway. The aircraft overran the runway, breached the airport perimeter fence, and eventually came to a stop in the Mzymta River bed.
The investigation
The investigation reviewed the pre-flight preparations, including the crew's medical clearance and the maintenance records from the previous day. The investigation also examined the flight's progress from takeoff to the approach phase, specifically focusing on the impact of heavy rainfall on visibility and the crew's decision-making during the first and second approaches.