What happened
During a night approach into Domodedovo Airport, the flight encountered challenging weather characterized by snowfall and reduced visibility. While on final approach, the aircraft was noted to be unstable and misaligned with the glide path. In an attempt to correct the position, the captain executed a left-hand turn. This maneuver resulted in a steep bank angle of approximately 35 to 40 degrees.
During this banking maneuver, the left wing made contact with the ground roughly 135 meters before reaching the runway threshold, positioned 25 meters to the right of the extended centerline. The impact caused the aircraft to lose control and subsequently crash into flames. The wreckage eventually came to a stop 340 meters beyond the runway threshold and 220 meters to the left of the centerline. The accident resulted in 12 fatalities (comprising five crew members and seven passengers) and 63 injuries. Following the initial impact, four additional passengers succumbed to their injuries within ten days. The aircraft was completely destroyed by a post-crash fire.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the flight crew utilized an incorrect approach configuration while operating in marginal weather conditions. A primary contributing factor was the failure to initiate a go-around despite the aircraft being unstable and improperly aligned with the glide slope. The aggressive turn performed by the captain led to the loss of control and the subsequent impact.