What happened
While flying from Tallinn toward Kärdla, the crew of an Antonov An-28 received updated weather information indicating snow, low cloud ceilings, and winds of 24 knots. Approximately 11 km from the destination, the pilot was cleared to descend to 1,400 feet and confirmed this altitude. The flight proceeded on a heading of 240 degrees toward the OZ NDB beacon, which served as the Final Approach Fix.
As the aircraft approached the runway threshold, the crew began a slow turn roughly 2.5 km before reaching the Final Approach Fix. During this maneuver, the aircraft struck trees approximately 1,500 meters from the runway and crashed in a forested region. The impact resulted in two fatalities and fifteen injuries, with several passengers sustaining serious harm. The airframe was completely destroyed.
Findings
The investigation determined that the accident stemmed from an improper situational assessment by the commander during the approach phase. This led to significant errors in flight technique, specifically regarding the transition from an instrument-based approach to a visual approach without proper authorization. The crew failed to account for the complexities of the meteorological environment, which included severe icing conditions.
Key contributing factors included:
- The pilot maintained an inappropriately low airspeed and high vertical descent rate while struggling with altitude control.
- A failure to execute a missed approach or return to the departure point despite deteriorating conditions.
- Inadequate crew resource management, as the co-pilot remained passive rather than intervening during the difficult approach.
- Deviations from the Airplane Flight Manual regarding system operations and flight procedures.
- The lack of visual descent angle assessment due to the absence of PAPI visibility on the runway.